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Critical Areas & Land-use Planning

Lewis River Side Channel

Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires all cities and counties to update ordinances designating and defining levels of protection for “critical areas”. These include fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas (including essentially all streams, lakes and marine shorelines), wetlands, floodplains, critical aquifer recharge areas and geologically hazardous areas. Local governments must “protect the functions and values” of critical areas. The GMA requires that local governments “include the best available science” in the process they use to designate and protect critical areas, giving “special consideration” to conservation or protection measures necessary to preserve or enhance anadromous fisheries.

Steward and Associates is actively working with local governments and other interested entities to respond to GMA requirements by:

  • Developing the "Best Available Science" documentation to support local decision-making by Planning Commissions and City Councils.
  • Crafting locally applicable regulatory solutions that meet GMA requirements while reflecting the reality of local opportunities and constraints.
  • Helping to identify other regulatory and incentive-based actions that support the goals and objectives of local land-use policies.
  • Providing science-based expert testimony at public hearings and other proceedings.

Our firm is also engaged in a variety of other land-use and environmental planning processes within western Washington. Below you will find descriptions of our on-going and completed projects related to the Critical Areas and Land Use Planning.

Sample Projects:
Camano Island Non-Point Pollution Prevention Plan: Steward and Associates is assisting Island County in the development and adoption of a Nonpoint Pollution Prevention Action Plan for Camano Island. Our tasks include facilitating meetings of the citizen-based Camano Island Watershed Management Committee (CIWMC), developing a plan and implementation strategy that comply with WAC 400-12, revising and completing a report characterizing water quality on Camano Island, working to gain commitments for implementing recommended actions, and supporting the adoption process through Island County and the Washington Department of Ecology.
City of Woodinville – Sustainable Development: Supported by a team of sub-consultants, Steward and Associates is currently advising the City of Woodinville regarding future zoning densities, land use regulations and sustainable development practices in an area of the city that currently has lower zoning densities than have generally been standard for urban areas under the Growth Management Act. The project involves extensive collaboration with City staff, the City Council, and a Citizen Advisory Panel.
Critical Area Updates – San Juan County, Cities of Oak Harbor, Bothell, Snohomish, Roslyn and Camas: Steward and Associates has assisted all of these jurisdictions with updates of their critical area regulations to comply with the GMA. We drafted comprehensive updates of all critical area regulations for Oak Harbor and Roslyn, and are currently doing so for San Juan County. We also developed updated critical area maps for Oak Harbor, working with Perteet Inc. We advised Bothell staff and the City Council regarding amendments to its CAO, focusing on stream riparian areas. We prepared reports on the best available science, evaluated Bothell’s existing CAO and the State Example Code against Best Available Science, recommended new code language, and assisted the City Council’s adoption process. For Snohomish and Camas, we reviewed proposed CAO regulations, assisted the cities by drafting alternative language, and participated in their adoption processes.
Critical Areas Ordinance Best Available Science Review – Bullitt Foundation: Steward and Associates staff implemented a Bullitt Foundation grant to the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation to provide advice and advocacy concerning incorporation of best available science in updates of Critical Area regulations in the Puget Sound area, focusing on the Lake Washington watershed. In the King County process, we developed a letter signed by rural property owners and environmental representatives emphasizing the importance of budget commitments to technical assistance, financial incentives and enforcement, which the County Council largely followed in its 2005 budget. We have also developed a “Checklist for Advocates” that concisely summarizes key critical area issues for salmon recovery and provides standards that can be used to evaluate proposed CAOs, with relevant scientific and regulatory explanations.
City of Snohomish ESA Compliance and Salmon Conservation Strategy: Steward and Associates developed an Endangered Species Act Strategy for the City of Snohomish that serves as a comprehensive strategy for the City to comply with the ESA, the Clean Water Act, the Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Management Act. The Strategy reviewed all City activities that could affect listed salmon and aquatic habitat—from development regulations and capital projects to stormwater management and operation of the City’s dam on the Pilchuck River. It includes regulatory and programmatic recommendations and helps the City prioritize its resources to meet its environmental goals

Related projects:

Bertrand Creek Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plan (CIDMP): Steward and Associates was retained by Economic and Engineering Services, Inc. (EES) to provide technical aquatic and fisheries assistance in the development of a Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plan (CIDMP) for the Bertrand Creek watershed of the Nooksack Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA). This intent of this project was to develop a CIDMP that meets multiple objectives, including the continuation of irrigated agriculture in the Bertrand Creek watershed, satisfying Whatcom County land use policy requirements, and the protection of valued environmental attributes including instream flows, water quality, and habitat for listed species and other species of concern. The CIDMP was prepared to be consistent with the Guidelines for Preparation of Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plans (Washington State Conservation Commission 2001).
WRIA 8 (Greater Lake Washington Watershed) Salmon Conservation Plan: At the invitation of King County Executive Ron Sims, Mr. Steward serves as a scientist and representative of the environmental community on the Water Resource Inventory Area 8 (WRIA 8) Steering Committee, which is overseeing development of a salmon conservation plan for the Greater Lake Washington Watershed. The plan is intended to become part of the recovery plan for listed Puget Sound chinook salmon, and to guide local government actions that could affect salmon. The Steering Committee comprises elected officials (primarily city and county council members), scientists, environmentalists and civic leaders from across the 700-square-mile watershed. In addition, Mr. Lombard serves on the WRIA 8 Technical Committee, which is developing the technical foundation for the WRIA 8 salmon conservation plan.
Liaison to Regional Watershed and Salmon Recovery Planning for the cities of Bothell and Woodinville: Steward and Associates serves as a liaison for the cities of Bothell and Woodinville to technical and policy development committees for salmon recovery planning in the Greater Lake Washington watershed (Water Resource Inventory Area 8). Responsibilities include regular written briefings to elected officials and staff, review of technical and policy documents, drafting of policy and grant proposals on behalf of the two cities, and serving as representatives of the cities on key committees.