Help Enact an Improved Critical Area Ordinance in King County!

COMMENT DEADLINE: July 30th

Now is your chance. King County's Critical Areas Ordinance is going through its first major overhaul, and the County Council needs to hear from wildlife avocates to insure King County gets a good Critical Areas Ordinance.

Public support and feedback will be critical to making sure that King County adopts a plan that will meet GMA's goals, protect important wildlife habitat, and provide incentives to land owners.

TALKING POINTS

This Critical Areas Ordinance is a great step in the right direction of good growth management. I support the expanded wetland buffers, and the use of the Washington Department of Ecology's wetland rating system. This will protect wetlands from the adverse impacts of development. Wetlands are important wildlife habitats, store flood waters, and allow the infiltration of rain into aquifers, protecting the ground water people rely on and which recharges rivers and streams. These buffers are also consistent with the requirement to incorporate best available science into critical areas regulations.

I support the 65/10 stormwater proposal. This proposal will require that rural properties maintain 65 percent of the property in native forest vegetation and limit effective impervious surfaces to ten percent. This will help protect the rural quality of life. People live the in the rural area because of the forests, fish, and wildlife and the quality of life provided by these resources. The 65/10 proposal will protect these resources.

I support the expanded aquatic areas buffers and the new aquatic areas classification system. This will provide increased protection for streams, rivers, lakes, and salt water habitats and the fish and wildlife that use these areas. However the rural aquatic area buffer of 165 feet should also be applied to important riparian habitats in the urban area and fish bearing streams in the Bear Creek Basin.

I strongly support the new wildlife protection measures. While the County could certainly do more, the proposal will better protect wildlife habitats than the county's existing approach. Also, this is required by the Growth Management Act and the King County Comprehensive Plan.

TO SUBMIT COMMENTS

You can use 1000 Friends of Washington's On-line Comment Form

Or you can testify on-line via the King County Council CAO Imput Page

More info on the King County Critical Areas Ordinance:

All counties MUST identify and protect critical areas under the Growth Management Act. To comply with State law, King County is updating land-use regulations that protect environmentally sensitive areas (including steep slopes, fish and wildlife habitat, wetlands, streams, and rivers) and public health and safety. King County is required in this update to include the best available science as a basis for the protections.

These public review drafts are sponsored by the Departments of Development and Environmental Services (DDES), Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP), and Transportation (KCDOT).

The King County webpage gives a great overview of what the CAO is and what the process includes. Check out their web site for more information at http://www.metrokc.gov/ddes/cao/

Thanks for your interest!