| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.94 |
| Liaison | Scott Morgan |
| Submission Date | Dec. 21, 2023 |
Evergreen State College, The
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Emma
Wright Graduate Sustainability Fellow Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
Adjacent to Lower Eld Preserve, https://capitollandtrust.org/conserved-lands/conservation-areas/steamboat-conservation-partnership-region/lower-eld-estuary-preserve/
58 acres on lower Eld Inlet (Mud Bay) in Thurston County, 2 miles from Olympia.
Estuarine habitat, tidal sloughs, freshwater springs, and forested uplands with 1.25 miles of coastal shoreline and 51.5 acres of classified wetlands. Also, in-stream habitat for five salmonid species, as well as shoreline habitat for waterbird and wetland habitat for landbird species.
The property is the southernmost terminous for McLane Creek into Puget Sound, an important stream for salmon habitat.
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
Chinook Salmon are listed as ESA Threatened in the Puget Sound.
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
Evergreen faculty have identified the college beach as being a refuge for moon snails, as well as creating ideal habitat for native mussels through driftwood.
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Through a partnership with South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, TESC is in the process of removing shoreline armoring on Geoduck Beach, which is part of the longest stretch of undeveloped shoreline in Eld Inlet. They have done a site assessment and recommended removing the concrete bulkhead to improve salmonid habitat at the outlet of Snyder Cove Creek.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The assessment was focused on the project site, which is located along the northern shoreline at TESC and spans two parcels (#12806410000). The limits of work for the restoration project include approximately 0.75-acres of upland area and 500 linear feet (LF) of shoreline (220 feet of which are armored) along Eld Inlet and Snyder Cove.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
The Evergreen State College
Campus Master Plan
VOLUME II - Goals and Policies for Land Use
(pg. 39 - 40)
Policy 6
To protect and efficiently manage campus environmental resources. The natural features of Evergreen’s campus are valuable as an academic resource in their own right. These features also contribute to the quality of life on campus in many ways and create a buffer between the college and the surrounding area.
Procedures
1. Ecological environments necessary to fulfill the academic mission of the college shall be provided.
2. Sizable portions of the campus land area shall be preserved as undeveloped land areas with minimum habitat destruction for the purposes of academic study, minimization of resource expenditures, and the protection of ecological functions. (Also applies to Policy 7.)
3. Environmental impacts shall be evaluated when planning construction, modification and management of campus facilities and minimized to meet criteria at least as stringent as those provided by law. This same approach will be employed during the actual construction or management of campus facilities. (Also applies to Policy 7.)
4. Tree clearing shall be undertaken only when specific plans for the site to be cleared have been completed, and when that clearing is shown to be necessary.
5. Critical areas (including wetlands, critical wildlife habitat, steep slopes, geologically hazardous areas), the shoreline, and other environmentally sensitive areas shall be identified, designated and protected from the impacts of construction, modification, and management activities. The college shall adopt and utilize criteria for the protection of critical areas at least as stringent as that provided by local law.
Ecological Preserves
6. Certain areas of prime growth, significant wildlife or environmentally sensitive habitat, or other unique sites on campus shall be identified and formally designated as Ecological Preserves, in which no significant alteration of the environment may take place. The primary concern in these areas shall be to completely maintain the native quality of the site.
7. Access to Ecological Preserves shall be limited for the purposes of environmental protection.
8. The college should administer protective maintenance in the Ecological Preserve areas only when necessary to maintain the integrity of the area and approved by the Campus Land Use Committee.
9. Proposals for ecological studies or other academic uses that involve manipulation or alteration of ecosystems shall be submitted to the Campus Land Use Committee for review and shall not occur in areas designated as Ecological Preserves.
10. Non-manipulative, minimally disruptive academic uses of the Reserve areas that do not conflict with other campus activities may be conducted anywhere on campus. Off-trail travel should be limited as much as possible.
11. Efforts to restore native plant populations in the Reserve areas shall be encouraged where invasive exotics currently dominate.
12. Any plantings occurring in Reserve areas, i.e. for erosion control or restoration, shall be species native to the site. Ideally, propagules should be collected from the site or at a minimum from the south Puget Sound to maintain genetic integrity.
13. The ecological environments on the campus shall be made available to the campus community for social and recreational purposes within the limits stated above.
14. The college shall establish and maintain a resource and land use inventory to guide land use decision making.
Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :
Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.