OLYMPIA—Little Bear Creek Advance Mitigation Site (LBCAMS), a Snohomish County Public Works restoration project led by Oscar Fuentes, was one of 12 winners of the 2024 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards announced by the Washington State Department of Commerce on August 12.
Earlier this year, the Little Bear Creek Advance Mitigation Site project was named a national 2024 Public Works Project of the Year from the American Public Works Association in the Environmental under $5 million category.
“Each year, I get to elevate plans, projects or partnerships that change how we see our state,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “This year, I am excited to share three separate housing awards, demonstrating just how important affordable housing is to our communities and just how effective we can be in handling our statewide housing needs.”
Presented annually since 2006, the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards recognize local governments and their partners for exceptional land use planning and development.
Awards are organized by category with special recognition given to the Judge’s Merit award. From community visioning to developing new housing, these awards highlight each step in the local planning process and the hard work, collaboration and citizen engagement it takes to accomplish these community led goals.
“These awards are a constant reminder that work on our state’s most important issues takes place at a community level,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “From housing to climate to equity, we are proud to see these transformative efforts taking place every year, strengthening our communities.”
View the full 2024 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards summary (Box PDF).
The 17-acre project is now a protected wetland mitigation site that allows the county to be proactive in addressing mitigation requirements by generating wetland credits for future project impacts. LBCAMS has also been recognized by the American Public Works Association at both the national and state level as a 2024 Project of the Year in the Environmental under $5 million category.
“Our Snohomish County Public Works team is full of creative, dedicated professionals who work hard every day to ensure we have safe, maintained, and well-designed roads, waste disposal, and recycling,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “This project exemplifies innovation and will allow the Public Works team to continue making infrastructure improvements to benefit our residents. This award is an incredibly well-deserved honor and I’m grateful to everyone who had a hand in bringing the mitigation site to life.”
Consolidating wetland restoration and enhancement efforts in advance is expected to save the county more than $30 million on at least 10 county road projects, when compared to building concurrent wetland mitigation projects or purchasing wetland credits from a mitigation bank. Advance planning for mitigation related to road infrastructure improvement projects allows Snohomish County Public Works to be more efficient in implementing the projects outlined in the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
“We know that by combining the mitigation needs for future road projects and mitigation efforts into a single site before it’s needed, we create significant financial savings and a strong ecological impact. This was a bold public works project as very few organizations handle wetland mitigation in this way,” said Snohomish County Public Works Director Kelly Snyder. “In all, creating the mitigation site took seven years, however it benefits the County and the public in perpetuity.”
Developing LBCAMS started in 2017 when the County purchased a derelict property built on wetland fill in the densely populated southern part of the county. Returning the site to a high-functioning forested wetland involved removing 17 structures, 4.25 acres of wetland fill, 1,200 feet of drainpipe and electrical conduit, and more than 37,000 square feet of impervious surface, and adding 6,300 cubic yards of compost and wood chip mulch and more than 21,000 native plants. The total project cost was $4.2 million.
“This project was successful because of the close coordination between Public Works, design consultant Environmental Science Associates (ESA), and Accord Contractors,” said Snohomish County Public Works Deputy Director and County Engineer Doug McCormick. “This award is a testament to our team’s innovation, collaboration, and proactive thinking to be strong environmental and fiscal stewards as we implement projects outlined in the county’s Comprehensive Plan.”
Award winners this year span the state and provide insights into an amazing amount of community achievements. Two local jurisdictions each received more than one award this year. Clark County will receive a housing award and a Judge’s Merit award. The city of Bellevue will also receive a housing award and share a Judge’s Merit award with King County Parks.
The Governor’s Smart Communities Awards highlight effective implementation of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) and other local or regional planning procedures. Winners are nominated by a panel of independent judges from across the state and approved by the Governor’s Office. Learn more at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/growth-management/smart-communities/.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Article updated 3:49 p.m., August 13, 2024, with quotes from Snohomish County Officials.
