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Draft CAO would add small-wetland exemptions and clarify wetland protections
Summary
Consultants proposed changes to Whitman County's wetland rules including redelineation every five years, adding vernal pools to wetland ratings, new regulated-activity triggers, and exemptions for certain small wetlands (category 4 wetlands <4,000 sq ft and other small wetlands <1,000 sq ft under qualification).
Consultant Dan Nickel walked the Planning Commission through the draft wetland provisions, saying the county is updating standards to align with Department of Ecology guidance and best-available science.
Key changes highlighted include a five-year ground-verified mapping/delineation requirement for wetlands; explicit inclusion of vernal pools in the wetland-rating system; an expanded list of regulated activities that now flags significant changes in water temperature, physical or chemical characteristics, hydrology (timing/frequency/depth/duration), and pollutant introduction; and new size-based exemptions for certain small wetlands.
Nickel described the exemptions: "All category 4 wetlands less than 4,000 square feet..." and noted an additional exemption for wetlands under 1,000 square feet meeting qualifying criteria that avoid riparian connections. He also described updated minimization measures (Table 9.2), a functionally disconnected buffer allowance (where roads or existing development bisect buffers), and revised mitigation ratios and preservation criteria consistent with state guidance.
Commissioners asked several clarifying questions about how exemptions would apply and when delineations would need updating; staff said detailed redline language is available for review and that a public hearing will provide broader opportunity for comment.
