Northwest Biological Consulting completed a Critical Area Report for the Woods property in the spring of 2013. The property is located on the banks of the Columbia River in the city of Vancouver Washington. City planning guidelines and protocols were followed to complete the project which assessed the riparian habitat of the property relative to the proposed construction of a small house. The following are some of the steps that were completed for the report:

• Site survey and map to identify all the trees on the property that measured over 6 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH). The property totaled about 2 acres and included some thick stands of alder and cottonwood trees next to the river
• Habitat map to identify riparian zones as well as springs that emerged at the toe of the river bank. The springs are used by Chum Salmon to spawn and are considered a rare habitat type along the Columbia.
• A map was developed to indicate the various set-backs for the riparian area along the river. The map and other information are used to locate the best site for home construction.
• A data base search of the Natural Heritage Data Base was also included in the report which identified critical wildlife within 2 miles of the property
• The final report included all the maps and figures with a finding of no minimal impact regarding the sitting of a small house on the property.