Planning commission advances CAO update and sends SEPA notice toward public hearing

The Whitman County Planning Commission spent the bulk of its April meeting reviewing a line-by-line update to the county's Critical Areas Ordinance and approved a motion to move the update forward through the SEPA public-notice process. Douglas, who led much of the rewrite work, told the commission that "most of the changes in the CAO were pretty minor, updates to references, things of that nature," while flagging deeper changes in the frequently flooded areas and fish and wildlife habitat sections.

Staff said the edits standardize definitions (for example, base flood elevation and highest adjacent grade), incorporate Department of Ecology and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife guidance, and add mitigation tools such as preservation to the compensatory-mitigation table. The code also introduces a "functionally disconnected buffer" standard to address situations where a road or development bisects a wetland buffer. After discussion about wording consistency and possible local clarifications, a commissioner moved that the planning commission proceed with publication of the SEPA checklist; the motion was seconded, the commission recorded 'Aye' on a voice vote and the chair declared the motion passed.

Next steps: staff will finalize the SEPA checklist for publication; once it is published the SEPA notice will trigger the public comment period and the Department of Commerce review that must occur before the Planning Commission and County Commissioners take final action.