Gravel, Rock Mining Operation Proposed West of Kitsap Lake

Following a year of meetings with area residents, Craig Ueland is moving....

  Following a year of meetings with area residents, Craig Ueland is moving ahead with plans to develop a gravel mine, rock quarry and possibly a concrete batch plant on portions of his 1,700 acres west of Kitsap Lake.The project has been carefully designed to protect the environment and to respect the community, said Mark Mauren, who is working with Ueland on the project. Ueland's declared intent is to keep the vast majority of the property as a working forest forever.On Friday, consultants with Parametrix filed an application for Kitsap County permits that would allow surface mining activities for the next 50 years. Parametrix has helped produce more than a dozen reports that have studied the property in terms of biology, geology, hydrology, traffic, noise and air quality, as well as how disturbed areas would be restored. "It's all about working with the natural environment," Mauren said.The proposal offers man-made enhancements, such as creating new wetlands in appropriate areas. The result could help to reduce flooding along Chico Creek and maintain summer stream flows.Plans call for two gravel mines and three basalt quarry areas, producing up to 11.7 million cubic yards of material over the next 50 years.The gravel mining could produce up to 400,000 tons of aggregate per year, according to the application. If related businesses are developed, up to 20,000 tons of topsoil and 20,000 cubic yards of concrete could be produced each year.Rick Fackler, a spokesman for Ueland Tree Farm, said one of the two gravel sites would never be developed. Instead, the site, known as "Gravel Mine B," would be donated as a "conservation easement," allowing Ueland to take a tax deduction while keeping the area in a natural condition. Not including the unused gravel site, the developed areas would total 118 acres.Other conservation easements would be established along streams to provide more protective buffers than required by the state's forest practices rules, according to the plans.A concrete batch plant is proposed in the first gravel area, but its construction would depend on economic feasibility, Fackler said. Previous ideas regarding an asphalt plant have been dropped and are not included in the application.The three rock quarries would be developed one at a time, with no more than 30 acres cleared at any time. A stormwater system would direct water into ditches and ponds for all cleared areas. Truck access would be from Leber Lane, which would be improved to county road standards. Ueland has purchased five of the seven homes along the street and are in negotiations with the other two, Mauren said.Hours of operation would be from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, excluding holidays.Mark Kuhlman, president of the Kitsap Lake Neighborhood Association, said members of his group have been watching the project with interest. Representatives of Ueland Tree Farm have attended two neighborhood meetings, and residents have attended other meetings called by Ueland."They do exert a big footprint and have a lot of activity planned, and they will create a traffic impact," Kuhlman said, "but we feel they are being as up-front and honest as they can be."Area residents were pleased to learn that Ueland intends to keep open the foot trails, which have been used since Port Blakely Tree Farms owned the property."We'll be interested in the noise studies and will be interested in whether there are any odors," Kuhlman noted.Noise from the concrete batch plant is a particular concern, Kuhlman said, and much will depend on the distance to homes, the topography and whether earthen berms are constructed. The plan calls for a 20-foot berm around the gravel site.Blasting of rock may be needed at the quarry, according to plans, but blasts would be limited to one per month.Although stormwater runoff will not flow into Kitsap Lake, the community will be interested in potential effects on water quality and water flows in Chico and Dickerson creeks, Kuhlman said.Beyond the immediate application, a forest management plan has been proposed that would allow most of the property to remain in forest forever. Logging would be spread out over time, so that one-third of the trees are younger than 20 years old, one-third are 20-40 years old, and one-third are 40 to 60 years old.If possible, Ueland would like to realize some value by transferring the development rights on the property (one unit per 20 acres) to a site appropriate for development, Fackler said. One idea would be to allow development on 450 acres at the southern end of the property, perhaps in conjunction with Port Blakely's approved industrial park, which remains on hold.