Committee hears CAO update; staff propose wider buffers, new hazards categories and reliance on farm plans for agricultural allowances

Council central staff and county permitting staff on May 21 briefed the Local Services and Land Use Committee on a proposed update to King County’s Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) and related changes to the comprehensive plan. The briefing focused on changes that affect agricultural activities, buffer widths and new hazard area standards.

What was proposed: Council staff said the update follows a best‑available‑science review and would, among other changes, increase protections for wetlands and fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, revise mitigation ratios, set new upper limits where buffers overlap steep slopes, and add three subsets of geologically hazardous areas (channel migration zones, tsunami hazard areas and alluvial fan hazard areas). Staff said some wetland buffers would increase by roughly 20%–50% and that larger riparian buffers for some streams would increase to the order of…