HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-15-18 Public Comment - W. Weaver (Montana Aquatic Resources Services) - Strategic Plan
May
14,
2018
City
of
Bozeman
Commission
Attn:
Chris
Mehl
121
North
Rouse
Bozeman,
MT
59715
Re:
City
of
Bozeman
Strategic
Plan
Recommendations
for
Habitat
Inventory
Dear
Commission:
As
Montana’s
Statewide
In-‐Lieu
Fee
Aquatic
Resource
Mitigation
Program
sponsor
and
a
nonprofit
conservation
organization
created
to
conserve
wetlands,
streams
and
riparian
areas,
MARS
is
engaged
in
both
regulatory
and
nonregulatory
programs
to
conserve
these
resources.
Drawing
from
both
aspects
of
MARS’
overall
program,
we
are
committed
to
conservation
of
all
important
wetland
conservation
areas
throughout
Montana.
Thank
you
for
your
vision
and
leadership
to
suggest
adding
language
to
the
City
of
Bozeman
Strategic
Plan
to
consider
habitat
and
work
with
partner
organizations
to
identify
at-‐risk,
environmentally
sensitive
parcels
that
contribute
to
water
quality,
wildlife
corridors,
and
wildlife
habitat.
As
you
may
be
familiar,
Section
404
of
the
Clean
Water
Act
states
no
net
loss
of
wetland
function.
As
Bozeman
continues
to
grow
as
a
community,
it
is
inevitable
that
this
development
will
impact
wetlands
and
streams
in
the
City
of
Bozeman
and
therefore
it
is
critical
to
protect
and
preserve
these
valuable
resources
into
the
future.
One
of
our
concerns
is
that
the
404
mitigation
policy
currently
disincentivizes
local
in-‐place
mitigation,
so
both
the
City
of
Bozeman
and
Gallatin
County
have
been
experiencing
and
continue
to
experience
a
net
loss
of
wetlands
as
a
result
of
suburban
development.
As
you
all
understand
these
natural
systems
and
resources
and
the
condition
they
are
in,
including
groundwater
and
surface
water,
are
critical
to
support
a
growing
population.
MARS
strives
to
collaboratively
work
with
watershed
partners,
government
agencies,
conservations
districts,
and
others
to
develop
and
implement
innovative
solutions
to
protecting
our
valuable
wetlands
and
streams
so
we
appreciate
this
opportunity
to
work
with
the
City
of
Bozeman
in
the
strategic
planning
process.
Thank
you
for
your
consideration
and
we
look
forward
to
this
opportunity
to
work
with
the
City
of
Bozeman.
Sincerely,
Wendy
Weaver,
Executive
Director
Montana
Aquatic
Resources
Services