PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      4d 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting    February 24, 2015 
DATE:    February 17, 2015 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Elizabeth Levitt, Director, Aviation Planning and Environmental 
Bob Duffner, Senior Manager, Aviation Environmental 
SUBJECT: Natural Resource Maintenance Interlocal Agreement with the Washington
Conservation Corps 
Amount of This Request:     $0       Source of Funds:   Annual Operating Budget
or Individual Projects 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Port Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to execute an Interlocal 
Agreement (ILA) with the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) in a form substantially as
attached in Exhibit A. This ILA will provide for natural resource maintenance services totaling
$700,000 over five years in support of wetland mitigation site management at the Seattle-
Tacoma International Airport and natural resource management at the Airport and other Port
properties. No funding is associated with this authorization. 
SYNOPSIS 
This ILA provides the Port with the resources necessary to meet the long term natural resource
maintenance requirements of the Airport's wetland mitigation program in compliance with the 
Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit (404) and 401 Water Quality Certification (401) for the
1997 Master Plan Update Improvement (MPU) projects as well as natural resource maintenance
needs at other Airport and Seaport properties. Through this agreement, the Port will continue an
established partnership with the WCC to provide natural resource maintenance services, and in
doing so will provide valuable environmental work experience and develop leadership skills in
young adults. The Port will provide funding, management and oversight by staff with natural
resource management experience as well as prior youth corps leadership experience. 
BACKGROUND 
Washington Conservation Corps 
The WCC is a state agency that specializes in the conservation, rehabilitation, and enhancement
of the state's natural and environmental resources while providing educational opportunities and
meaningful work experiences for young adults ages 18 to 25. WCC was established in 1983 and
is a part of the federal AmeriCorps program. Through partnerships with local, state, and federal

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2015 
Page 2 of 5 
agencies, the WCC completes restoration, recreation, and other stewardship projects throughout
the state. 
Port of Seattle 
As mitigation for impacts related to the construction of the Third Runway and other 1997 MPU
projects, the Port created, restored and enhanced over 164 acres of wetlands and wetland buffers.
The 401 and 404 Permits require that these wetlands and buffers meet stringent performance
standards for plant survival, density and overall function for a period of 15 years. Due to the
staggered construction dates of the mitigation sites this period will end between 2022 and 2027. 
In order to meet these requirements, the Port must perform regular plant maintenance including
vegetation trimming, replacement of dead plants, weed management, soil amendment application
and grazing protection. 
In addition to the Airport's 1997 MPU wetland mitigation sites, there are other natural resource
sites on Seaport and Aviation properties. The Port has implemented significant environmental
restoration, cleanup and habitat enhancement projects as part of its capital improvement 
programs and ongoing operations and management of Port facilities. 
Partnership History 
An existing ILA with the WCC will end on April 15, 2015. During the course of this 5-year
agreement, the WCC played a critical role in ensuring the ongoing success of the Airport's
wetland mitigation program while providing valuable work and leadership skills to young adults.
Fifty corpsmembers working within ten teams planted over 85,000 plants and provided necessary
invasive weed control. Through this ILA, over $600,000 was spent on team leadership, crew
labor, plants and other planting supplies. 
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
Project Objectives 
The objective of this agreement is to provide resources needed to completed permit required
maintenance efforts on wetland mitigation sites while providing vital education and leadership
opportunities to young adults. 
Scope of Work 
Maintenance services to be completed under this ILA may include; selective  vegetation
trimming, replacement plantings in areas of high mortality or low vigor, planting in areas of low
density or cover, weed management, soil amendment, installation of rodent guards,
troubleshooting existing irrigation systems, supporting existing monitoring efforts and other
natural resource maintenance services. Under this ILA, the WCC would provide management
services, labor and plants.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2015 
Page 3 of 5 
Natural resource maintenance services performed under this agreement will primarily be
performed at Airport wetland mitigation sites in compliance with existing permits. Due in large
part to WCC support, the mitigation sites initially constructed are maturing so maintenance needs
on these site will continue to decline over the period of this agreement. However, sites built in
later years (Des Moines Nursery, Tyee Golf Course, Williams property) will require higher
levels of maintenance until they become more established.  In addition to routine site
maintenance, service trails to be decommissioned at the Auburn mitigation  site will be revegetated
through this ILA.
Other work not required by existing permits will include vegetation plantings at the former Tyee
Golf Course in an effort to improve upland habitat while reducing bird attractants which pose a
hazard to Airport operations. Fish and wildlife habitat sites located in Elliott Bay and the
Duwamish Waterway may require assistance to maintain and improve riparian and marsh
vegetation conditions.  Other natural resource maintenance services may  be performed on
Aviation and Seaport properties including those located along Elliott Bay and the Duwamish
Waterway.
Schedule 
The ILA will remain effective for a maximum term of five years. Approximately sixty percent of
the maintenance efforts at Aviation wetland mitigation sites are scheduled to be completed in
2015-2017. Scope and magnitude of the remaining maintenance work will be determined by site
progress and permitting agency review. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The total costs for services performed under this ILA will not exceed $700,000. No work is
guaranteed to WCC under this agreement. No budget authorization request is associated with
this Commission action. The Port will authorize work under individual task orders as specific
work tasks are required and funding for that work will be authorized by the Commission as part
of the annual budgeting process and specific project funding mechanism. The funding source
will therefore be either the Airport Development Fund (for airport projects) or the General Fund
(for seaport projects). 

STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES 
This agreement supports the Port's Century Agenda objective to be the greenest, and most
energy efficient port in North America by facilitating the maintenance of Third Runway
mitigation areas and other natural resources on Port property. The extensive work performed
under this new agreement will continue to support the Port's highly successful mitigation efforts 
and provided on-the-ground assistance to the Airport's efforts towards responsible environment
stewardship.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2015 
Page 4 of 5 

This agreement also supports the Port's Century Agenda commitment to use our influence as an
institution to promote workforce development. This agreement will create a working partnership
with another state agency and provide young adults with hands-on experience and leadership
opportunities in the environmental field. 
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE 
Economic Development 
This ILA will allow the Port to respond in a financially responsible way to immediate
environmental needs. The short-term projects provide financial benefit to the young adult
participants while keeping the required costs as low as possible for our customers. 
Environmental Responsibility 
This ILA will provide a way to ensure the Port meets the permit requirements for construction of
the Third Runway and other MPU projects. By aggressively maintaining our wetland mitigation
sites over the next five years, we will ensure the sites succeed and avoid costly reestablishment. 
This ILA also provides the Port a mechanism to rapidly address non-mitigation natural resource
concerns when fieldwork is necessary. 
Community Benefits 
This ILA provides a mechanism for young adults from the region to perform short-term work in
the environmental field, gaining valuable hands-on experience. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1)  Contract with a Traditional Landscaping Firm. 
Pros: 
A traditional firm will have the expertise and staffing to complete contracted tasks. 
Cons: 
Foregoes the opportunity to continue our partnership with the WCC and engage in a
program that supports the development of young adults through natural resource
project work. 
Conventional contracting is less flexible than the ILA contracting which may
interfere with the completion of the multiple, smaller, short-notice projects typically
completed through our ILA. 
Cost will likely be 3-5 times higher using a traditional landscape contractor due to
higher overhead, higher labor charges and higher material costs. 
The cost of planned 2015 wetland maintenance efforts as performed under this alternative are
estimated to be approximately $60,000 to $100,000. These maintenance efforts are required by
the Airport permits. There are no identifiable monetary benefits associates with these efforts. 
Alternative 2)  Execute an ILA with the WCC

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2015 
Page 5 of 5 
Pros: 
Continues a successful partnership with the WCC that has provided quality natural
resource project work and on-the-job experience for young adults 
The flexible nature of the ILA service directive process allows short notice, smaller
projects to be completed during the correct season 
Provides a cost-effective means to maintain regulatory required mitigation and other
natural resource sites 
Cons: 
Requires a slightly higher level of Port staff involvement to manage the field effort. 
The cost of planned 2015 wetland maintenance efforts as performed under this alternative are
estimated to be approximately $20,000. The se maintenance efforts are required by the
Airport permits.  There are no identifiable monetary benefits associates with these efforts.
This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
Exhibit A  Interlocal Agreement between the Port of Seattle and the Washington
Conservation Corps 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
The commission authorized the current ILA with WCC on April 13, 2010.