Protecting our Vulnerable Habitat

The Importance of a County Critical Areas Ordinance

The state of Washington defines five types of critical areas that should be considered and protected under County-level ordinances: wetlands, aquifer-recharge areas, fish and wildlife habitat, frequently flooded areas, and geologically hazardous areas. Many of these critical habitats lie near or around water. In our dry eastern Cascade landscape, these riparian zones comprise only 1-2% of the land area and yet support a rich biodiversity and a highly productive system.

Each county is required to develop and update a plan for these areas—called a Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO)—that is based on the best-available science and developed in consultation with state agency experts in water, wildlife, and geology. Okanogan County has not updated their CAO since 1994 and the current draft, commented on by MVCC in May 2021, is lacking key provisions to protect these valuable habitats. Since May, the CAO has been on hold, as the County works on the associated Comprehensive Plan and pursues a lawsuit against Department of Ecology. As the county once again turns its attention to finishing the Critical Areas Ordinance, MVCC wants to make sure our members understand the importance of the document and have a chance to comment on it. Some of the revisions MVCC, Futurewise, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have proposed include:

Adoption of a Clearing and Grading Ordinance. Currently clearing, grading, and building of access roads in the county can occur before critical areas are assessed with a site visit. This can lead to unnecessary disturbance of fragile critical areas.  A clearing and grading ordinance would help to trigger a site visit earlier in the building process to avoid disturbances to these habitats.

Identifying all WDFW Priority Habitats and Species in the County and Designating them as priority habitats: This is especially important to aid in protecting salmonid species that are in trouble. According to the 2020 “State of the Salmon” report, the status of Endangered Upper Columbia Spring Chinook is “in crisis,” and the status of Threatened Upper Columbia Steelhead is “not keeping pace” with recovery efforts. A designation of priority habitats can help prevent any further degradation of salmonid habitat and surrounding riparian habitat.

Adding Protection to the 100-year Floodplain: Protecting the floodplain as a Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Area would close the gap between riparian habitat protected by the Shoreline Master Program and the CAO and ensure continuous protection for threatened and endangered fish species.

Once Okanogan County issues a new draft CAO, we will be looking to see if some of our recommendations have been implemented and what could be improved. We’ll keep you updated and involved in this important process!