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Staff update environmental chapter with WDFW, LCFRB and SWCAA input
Summary
Staff reviewed updates to the comprehensive plan’s environmental chapter, saying much of the new text reflects agency input — notably from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board and the Southwest Clean Air Agency — and includes new citations and revised floodplain, wetlands and geohazard language.
During the Dec. 4 work session, Bart Catching (Community Planning) walked commissioners through the environmental element (Chapter 4), emphasizing that many of the draft text changes result from agency input and code updates rather than internal policy shifts.
Catching told the commission the fish and wildlife habitat section, wetlands conservation program and endangered‑species language were updated largely based on external expert input: "We deferred to their help with the text updates… from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, WDFW, and, the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, LCFRB," he said. Catching also said staff updated floodplain and flood hazard citations and geohazard material to reflect the latest guidance and internal habitat‑review team recommendations.
On air quality, Catching said staff used language provided by the local air authority: "That language… is from SWCAA," he said, referring to the Southwest Clean Air Agency as the technical expert for air‑quality regulation. He noted the chapter is descriptive (not regulatory code) and references code sections administered by other agencies.
Next steps: staff will collect commissioner questions and follow up with technical clarifications where necessary ahead of the joint hearing and public hearings in January.
