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State wildlife agency urges wider, function‑based riparian zones in Lynnwood critical‑areas rewrite
Summary
Dr. Cara Whitaker of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife told Lynnwood council members the city’s required Critical Areas Ordinance update should shift from a DNR water‑type buffer approach to riparian management zones sized by site‑potential tree height or a 100‑foot minimum, and that the Growth Management Act requires incorporation of best available science and a no‑net‑loss standard.
Dr. Cara Whitaker, land use conservation and policy section manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Lynnwood City Council on Oct. 15 that the city’s required update to its Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) should designate riparian ecosystems as fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas and set riparian management zone (RMZ) widths based on the “site potential tree height at 200” or a 100‑foot minimum where full RMZs are not practical.
Whitaker said the Growth Management Act requires cities to designate and protect critical areas, incorporate the best available science and aim for “no net loss of ecosystem functions and values.” She described WDFW guidance in two volumes: Volume 1 (riparian functions) and Volume 2 (riparian management and delineation). “Riparian ecosystems are one of our highest priority habitats statewide,” Whitaker said, and WDFW recommends RMZs be sized by site potential tree height at age 200, using on‑line mapping tools or field validation.
The recommendation departs from the Department of Natural Resources’ traditional water‑type buffer approach that assigns wider buffers to larger, fish‑bearing streams. Whitaker said WDFW’s best available science…
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