Thursday, October 1, 2026
Tumwater’s habitat conservation plan (HCP) is one step closer to completion, after city officials moved to extend a consultant contract tied to the final phases of the project.
The plan would allow development and other activities within areas containing species listed under the Endangered Species Act by detailing strategies to mitigate impacts to those species.
The Tumwater City Council authorized Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to approve an amendment to the city’s agreement with consultant ICF Jones & Stokes LLC. The amendment does not change the scope of work or add new funding, but it does extend the contract term until Sept. 1, 2027.
The amended contract was approved as part of the city council’s consent agenda, meaning it was not thoroughly discussed during the meeting.
Most of the discussion occurred during the Tumwater General Government Committee’s meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when its members voted to recommend the amendment for approval.
Community Development Director Brad Medrud told the committee the extension is intended to allow staff and the consultant to complete remaining work and bring the plan close to completion by the end date of the amended contract.
Medrud said the project began more than a decade ago and is now in its fourth phase. This final stage involves producing a revised HCP and completing the required review process under the National Environmental Policy Act.
A large portion of the work is funded through a $225,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Medrud said. The grant required a $79,000 match shared between Tumwater and the Port of Olympia, which is jointly working on the plan with Tumwater.
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Boatyarddog
YES The port should pay a LIONS share of a habitat conservation Plan. They have destroyed most of what is good in Our Native Enviroment.
Thursday, January 22 Report this
northbeachcomm
Thanks for sharing this information, Jolt reporter! We appreciate you.
I do not remember the Port of OLY. ever saying that they were contributing $79,000. to a
revised HCP (Habitat Conservation Plan) with the City of Tumwater. Good to know. The "mitigation" for the gopher habitat means, " kill all the gophers in the Olympia airport area, (where they have existed for 500 years)
and have land set-aside elsewhere for new gopher populations".
The extension of this contract for the HCP, does not mean that the HCP is one step closer to completion. Until and unless that "mitigation land" is found and
paid for, this HCP will never be "completed". It is a on-going struggle in these tough economic times
to come up with that boat load of money for that mitigation land. The Federal govern. will not help,
we doubt WA State can come up with that money. Who will pay for this HCP mitigation land?? Burdened Tax-payers?
Friday, January 23 Report this