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Anacortes staff propose riparian clarifications, new habitat listings and tsunami map updates
Summary
Staff recommended updates to riparian management zone standards to avoid diverting surface flows, adding forage-fish spawning areas and cliffs/bluffs to designated habitats, updating bald eagle protections, and adopting newer tsunami hazard maps for mapping accuracy.
In its review of fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, staff recommended clarifying riparian management zone (RMZ) provisions to strengthen standards that prevent diversion of surface water flows and to guide locating development away from streams whenever feasible. The commission heard examples of locally designated areas, including the Anacortes Community Forest Lands and the Marchpoint heron area.
The consultants also recommended adding federally listed species and priority habitat types — including forage-fish spawning areas and cliffs and bluffs — to local designations, and updating eagle-nesting protections to align with state and federal standards. In the geologically hazardous areas review, staff noted recommended updates to include exposed bedrock criteria in limited cases and to adopt newer tsunami hazard maps and Washington Geological Survey resources for mapping.
