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Skagit County begins review of updated critical areas ordinance; public hearing set for July 28

5332983 · July 7, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

County staff and consultants presented a draft update to the critical areas ordinance addressing wetlands, aquifer recharge, buffers and the "no net loss" standard; the board scheduled a public hearing for July 28 and further discussion on Aug. 4.

Skagit County commissioners held a work session July 7 on a proposed update to the county’s critical areas ordinance, a multi-section rewrite that staff and outside consultants say aligns code language with best available science and the Growth Management Act.

Dan Nickel, the county’s primary consultant for the update, walked the board through the packet materials, which include a best available science report, a gap analysis and a draft ordinance. “One is the incorporation of the term no net loss,” Nickel said, describing a key objective of the update: protecting functions and values of critical areas over time.

The draft addresses the five categories defined under state guidance — wetlands, critical aquifer recharge areas,…

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