04. Updated Forest Mitigation Agreement with the Metro Flood Diversion Authority

16 7. Monitoring & Management Monitoring and adaptive management are the responsibility of the Non-Federal Sponsors per the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA), dated 11 July 2016 and amended 19 March 2019. After initial construction the mitigation sites will be monitored to assess the success in restoring and creating forest mitigation. Periodic mowing, burning, and spot treating with herbicide will be required to control the establishment of non-desirable species and increase the successful establishment of planted species (Appendix G). Once seeded, it is anticipated that native species will take approximately three to five years to become established under favorable growing conditions. Other adaptive management measures may be employed to address vegetative or hydrologic concerns identified during and after the initial establishment period. Maintenance needs will be identified as part of the annual monitoring conducted to determine compliance with the mitigation performance standards for the site and as part of the periodic inspections conducted in accordance with the operation and maintenance plan for the project. 7.1 Monitoring Requirements Monitoring shall be performed at years one, three, six, and ten after the initial planting to gage performance and provide adaptive management through planting and maintenance practices, as necessary. Monitoring will include a seedling survival check during the first full growing season after planting, an annual invasive species checks to year five in the form of a percent cover survey, and seedling surveys to determine tree density and diversity at years one, three, six, and ten (Appendix E). Seedling surveys of a 0.01-acre circular plot will consist of identifying all woody stems to species and measuring their heights (Appendix E). Plots will be placed randomly across the mitigation property with a 66 foot buffer around each point to avoid overlap. Each survey year plots will be re-randomized in order to ensure greater coverage of the sites. After year ten, tree survival and composition will be monitored every five years thereafter using the forest inventory protocol provided in Appendix E to determine basal area and trees per acre and percent canopy cover until it can be demonstrated that the value of the forest habitat lost has been replaced through mitigation (see Attachment 6 of the EIS for an example of habitat quantification). The monitoring results will be compiled, interpreted, and described in monitoring reports that will be shared with the FMM Forest Resource Group to provide management recommendations using the process defined in the AMMP. The Non-Federal Sponsors would be responsible for providing this justification and receiving approval from the Adaptive Management Team (AMT). 7.2 Monitoring Reports Monitoring reports shall be concise and effectively provide the information necessary to assess the status of the forest mitigation projects. Monitoring shall commence the first full growing season following completion of construction (construction includes earth moving, excavation and other physical work as well as planting and seeding). The first monitoring report shall be submitted on or before December 31st of the first monitoring year. This report shall include