Lewis County adopts amended Critical Areas Ordinance but reverts proposed stream buffer increase

Lewis County commissioners adopted Ordinance 13‑70 on Dec. 9 after amending the proposed Critical Areas Ordinance to retain the existing 75‑foot buffers on NS and NP streams.

Senior long‑range planner Natalie Kamenicki summarized the package as mainly reorganizational with substantive changes including required critical area reports, wetland buffers tied to steep slopes, demarcation of wetland buffers during land divisions, prohibitions on certain injection wells in critical aquifer recharge areas, updates to wellhead protection areas, revisions to aquatic habitat designations and an increase in stream buffers for NS and NP streams from 75 to 100 feet.

During the hearing a commissioner stated opposition to increasing NP/NS stream buffers from 75 to 100 feet, saying the change would reduce usable property and questioned whether the science fully supported the expansion. That commissioner moved to amend section 17.38.43 to revert NP and NS stream buffer widths to 75 feet; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The board then voted 3-0 to approve Ordinance 13‑70 as amended.

The hearing record shows no in‑person or online public testimony. Staff noted the ordinance was prepared to conform with state laws and best available science; the amendment on buffer widths reflects the board’s policy decision recorded at this meeting. The ordinance, as amended, will be implemented per the county’s administrative process; staff described buffer and wetland mapping changes in the read‑ahead materials.