400 RIVERSIDE RD SEPA 016 - 039 - RIVERSIDE BUSINESS PARK Land Use Decision Documents 2025-04-14

1 fish grow, they gradually move to deeper waters and generally migrate towards open ocean waters. Mortalities during this early marine life period are primarily the result of predation by birds and other fish species. By mid- to-late summer the juvenile chum have reached ocean waters. At this time they are approximately 4 to 6 inches long. Some chum salmon juveniles will remain in nearshore marine waters until late in their second year before migrating to the open ocean (WDFW, ' 2016). Due to the fry immediately migrating to marine waters,it is extremely important they have shoreline 1 areas that allow them to avoid predators and areas where they can forage on insects and plankton. Juvenile Chum require resting areas during in and out migration that provide cool water temperatures, adequate forage species, and areas of low flow current. Adult require similar conditions. The project riparian area is highly degraded in terms of shading vegetation and reinforced bank,providing little to no areas that would serve their purpose. Therefore, they are unlikely to utilize this area. ' The indirect and direct effects are expected to be highly discountable. The proposed impact actions and the minimal impacts of the project, proposed actions will have No Effect on Chum Salmon. The indirect and direct effects are expected to be highly discountable. Southern Resident Killer Whale ' Orcinus orca—Endangered,listed November 15,2005 Critical Habitat designated November 2006 (71 PK 69054) Southern Resident Killer Whale may be found in the Puget Sound, Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca during spring through fall (Wiles, 2004). The website www.orcanetwork.org list sightings near the vicinity of the Action Area as infrequent (Orca Network, 2016). Killer whale may be found in South Puget Sound from November through January. A Southern Resident Killer Whale sighting ' compilation between 1990 and 2008 has compiled data regarding the average number of orca sightings per month over an 18 year period. October through February contain the highest number of sightings per month (Foote, 2008). Temporary increases in terrestrial noise will have no effect on fish species due to the highly-increased attenuation rates of soundwaves moving through water. In addition, the terrestrial noise action area of the project is a radius of 81 feet and project activity will occur, at most, 50 feet from the bank of the Snohomish. Due to the low likelihood of a killer whale being within the action area during the proposed impact actions and nominal impacts of the project on prey species, the proposed actions will have No Effect on Southern Resident Killer Whales. Almost the entire Puget Sound has been designated as Critical Habitat for Southern Resident Killer Whale, excluding areas that are less than twenty feet deep during periods of high tide (NMFS, 2012). Under the ESA, "Critical Habitat" is defined as: (1) specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing,if they contain physical or biological features essential to conservation, and those features may require special management considerations or protection; and (2) specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species if the agency determines that the area itself is essential for conservation." The proposed project will have no long term effects on marine areas where water is deeper than twenty feet at periods of high tide. In addition, the neither the terrestrial nor aquatic action area extends to these areas.Therefore,the proposed project will have No Effect on Southern Resident Killer Whale Critical Habitat as it is not in the action area of ' the project. Soundview Consultants LLC December 8,2016 1413.0003 Riverside Business Park—FEMA ESA Habitat Assessment Report Page 24