Memorandum 15-115 Beluga Slough Lands in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Network

Memorandum 15-115

TO:                       Mayor Wythe and Homer City Council

THROUGH:       Katie Koester, City Manager

FROM:                 Julie Engebretsen, Deputy City Planner

DATE:                  July 21, 2015

SUBJECT:         Recommendation From the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission to Include City Owned Beluga Slough Lands in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN)

Summary

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission recommended the City Council include the Beluga Slough area in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). The attached letter from George Matz explains what WHSRN is in greater detail, but basically it is a voluntary program to conserve shorebirds and their habitats through a network of key sites across the Americas. The City supported the inclusion of Mariner Lagoon and Mud Bay in this network in 1994 (Resolution 94-32).

You can read about the Kachemak Bay WHSRN site here http://www.whsrn.org/site-profile/kachemak-bay. (If you visit the site, don’t miss the photo gallery link on the left; there are some great local bird photographs.)

City Lots

The City owns parcel 17714006, T 6S R 13W SEC 20 SEWARD MERIDIAN HM NW1/4 SE1/4 EXC HOMER BY PASS RD, encompassing just under 40 acres. This property was acquired through the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill program, and has a conservation easement on it through BLM, and is also zoned conservation.

The second parcel contains the public works complex.  Parcel 17714016, T 6S R 13W SEC 20 SEWARD MERIDIAN HM NE1/4 NE1/4 SW1/4 & S1/2 NE1/4 SW1/4, contains 30 acres. The northern 10 acres of this parcel is excluded from this resolution; it contains the public works main building and sewage lagoon. It is the southern 20 acres that is included in this nomination. See map.

Attachments:

Letter from George Matz
Area Map