Committee adopts striking and line amendments to Critical Areas Ordinance; forwards ordinance to council with due‑pass recommendation

Lede: The Local Services and Land Use Committee on Aug. 20, 2025, adopted striking amendment S‑1 and subsequent line and title amendments to proposed Ordinance 2024‑0408, the county’s update to the Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO), and voted 3‑0 to forward the ordinance to the full council with a due‑pass recommendation.

Nut graf: The CAO revision addresses protections for wetlands, streams, riparian buffers, steep slopes and other critical habitats; the committee’s adopted amendments add an inventory requirement for farm management plans, invite active government‑to‑government communication with federally recognized tribes regarding indigenous knowledge, and conform the ordinance title to the adopted changes. The chair and sponsor emphasized continued fall work on related technical and policy refinements before full council action.

Body: Jenny Ngo of Council Central staff oriented the committee to the materials and described the legislative history. She said the striking amendment S‑1 (in the packet) had been briefed previously and that two additional line amendments and a title amendment were before the committee. Amendment 1 would require maintaining an inventory of farm management plans submitted to the county under public‑benefit rating system (PBRS) conditions, critical area alteration conditions, or agricultural livestock development standards and would require the executive’s public rule to identify procedures and make an aggregate summary publicly available. Amendment 2 would amend policies to invite active communication with federally recognized Indian tribes on indigenous knowledge and species and habitats of local importance. Title Amendment T1 would conform the ordinance title.

As sponsor, Vice Chair Quinn framed the CAO process as an eight‑month collaborative effort with extensive stakeholder engagement, and he highlighted key topics incorporated into the striker including buffer revegetation requirements, tribal‑requested changes to fish‑spawning protections, provisions accommodating housing and daycare in urban growth areas, inclusion of the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) as a policy direction for agricultural lands, and revised definitions and standards to clarify commercial agriculture and distinctions for existing versus new farms.

Quinn moved the striking amendment S‑1 and then moved Line Amendment 1. He described the line amendment as intended to provide transparency and access to an inventory of farm management plans. The committee adopted S‑1 and Line Amendment 1 by voice vote. Quinn then moved Line Amendment 2 to strengthen tribal communication; the committee adopted that amendment by voice vote as well. Title Amendment T1 was moved and adopted to conform the title to the amendments.

Clerk Stedman called the roll after adoption of the amendments. The recorded vote on the ordinance as amended was 3 ayes, 0 nos; Councilmember Dunne was excused. Chair Perry said the item will be forwarded to the full council with a due‑pass recommendation and placed on the council consent agenda. Chair Perry also outlined a fall work plan for further refinement and reaffirmed the deadline for full‑council amendment concepts of Aug. 27, 2025, to allow SEPA review and a fall public hearing and action timeline.

Ending: The committee’s action sends the CAO update, as amended, to the council for the next stage of review. Staff and councilmembers noted multiple remaining technical issues to be refined in the fall, including updates to best available science, wetland buffer revegetation, mitigation banking prioritization and commercial agricultural documentation, and invited continued public input prior to full council action.