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Thurston County begins 10‑year comprehensive plan update, highlights housing, climate and wildlife corridors
Summary
County planning staff briefed commissioners on the Thurston2045 comprehensive plan periodic update, detailing state requirements, outreach and major policy questions including housing allocations, climate chapters, wildlife corridor guidance, and a staged seven‑briefing schedule for the board.
Thurston County planning staff presented an overview of the county’s 10‑year comprehensive plan update to the Board of County Commissioners on July 16, 2025, outlining required state updates, major community concerns and the county’s planned seven‑session briefing schedule.
Ashley O’Rae, director of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED), and Derek Day, planning manager, said the update is driven by the state Growth Management Act, new state guidance on climate and wildlife connectivity, and fresh population projections from the Office of Financial Management. Staff said the county must show how it will accommodate new residents and plan for housing across all income ranges, review policies for disparate impacts and add new climate mitigation and resilience language.
Derek Day summarized community engagement to date: CPED staff have attended more than 31 public events, collected more than 600 written comments, and the Planning Commission has held 38 work sessions. Staff cited headline statistics for the county’s planning baseline: an anticipated county population increase of roughly 30 percent over 20 years, with Thurston County expected to accommodate about 11,000 more residents in rural and unincorporated areas; median household income cited about $88,000; typical home values around $500,000 and typical rents near $2,000; and about 6,000 households in incorporated areas spending more than half of income on housing.
Staff said key themes from public engagement include requests to limit large industrial warehouses in rural areas, limit rural growth, expand water conservation tools, support agricultural and environmental protection, and address climate‑related planning. The update is also taking up wildlife habitat corridor guidance from state agencies and local nonprofits; staff described collaborative mapping sessions with WDFW and conservation partners to identify gaps and potential non‑zoning tools such as tree and fence regulations, conservation easements and coordinated utility/rail corridor strategies.
The briefing explained that some chapters (planning staff said economic development and public health) are not receiving full updates in this cycle because of budget and scoping decisions; other chapters will be overhauled. Staff said a draft plan was expected for SEPA review in late August or September, with the board’s formal review and a statutory deadline by the end of the year.
Commissioners asked about outreach to under‑represented communities; staff described partnerships with community organizations, translated surveys and interpreter support at targeted events. Staff asked commissioners to direct constituents to Thurston2045.org for materials and comment forms.
