The native historic prairies of south puget sound are among the rarest habitats in the united states.development, agriculture, and fire suppression have led to a dramatic decline of the native prairie…

The native historic prairies of south puget sound are among the rarest habitats in the united states.development, agriculture, and fire suppression have led to a dramatic decline of the native prairie landscape.today, less than 10 of native historic prairies remain, with only a small portion of what remains is highquality native prairies. In 2013 and 2014, several prairie species that are found in the city and on portproperties, including the olympia pocket gopher and the streaked horned lark, were listed as threatened under thefederal endangered species act (ESA). The plan area of the bush prairie HCP includes the entire range of theolympia pocket gopher. The oregon vesper sparrow is another prairie species found in the city and on portproperties that is likely to be ESA listed in the near future. In addition to these three prairie species, thewetland and stream complexes associated with the black river drainage system in the western portion of the cityare occupied by the oregon spotted frog, which was listed as threatened under the ESA in 2014. The bush prairiehcp will cover all four of these species, as well as providing incidental conservation benefits to non listed andstate listed species not included in the HCP. Approximately the southern two thirds of the city, which includesthe port s olympia regional airport and new market industrial campus, have soils that are a naturally limitingfactor suitable for prairie species, while the wetland and stream complexes in the western portion of the cityare a naturally limiting factor suitable for the oregon spotted frog. The bush prairie HCP will cover all four ofthese species, as well as providing incidental conservation benefits to non listed and state listed species notincluded in the HCP. IT is imperative that the city and the port continue and complete in phase 3 the workstarted in 2016 under phase 1 and continued in 2018 under phase 2 of the bush prairie HCP. This would allow forthe protection of endangered species within a framework that allows the city to manage responsible urbanresidential, commercial, industrial, and institutional growth consistent with its obligations under thewashington state growth management act (GMA).