S-4160.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6417
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Senators Owen, Oke, Prentice, Vognild, Nelson, Haugen and Winsley
Read first time 01/21/94. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.
AN ACT Relating to requiring establishment of uniform county-wide wetlands policies; adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there is considerable confusion and complexity resulting from the multiplicity of regulations regarding wetlands in the state that affects the public's interest in the conservation and beneficial use of wetlands and sustainable economic development. The legislature further finds that the lack of standardized methodology and procedures to define, plan for, and permit projects associated with wetlands has contributed to severe problems and conflicts. These have adversely affected the wetlands, landowners, and federal, state, regional, county and city governments, and tribes. Inconsistency in the regulatory process leads to a lack of uniformity and inequities in access to the permitting process, duplication, and even triplication of requirements, and delays in decision making potentially causing adverse economic and environmental impacts.
It is in the public interest that each county developing comprehensive plans and development regulations under chapter 36.70A RCW develop, with its cities, a uniform county-wide regulatory policy to promote consistency and predictability in the process of protecting wetlands resources. It is the intent of the legislature that each county establish an integrated county-wide regulatory policy that provides a predictable process for wetlands protection consistent with federal policy and state regulatory programs.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:
Using the county-wide planning process established in RCW 36.70A.210, or a similar collaborative process between a county and the cities within a county, each county planning under this chapter shall, by July 1, 1996, adopt uniform wetlands policies to be implemented county-wide within the county and each city within the county. The county-wide policies shall include both regulatory and nonregulatory tools to protect, at a minimum, the functions and values of wetlands for fish and wildlife habitat, flood and storm water control, shoreline erosion control, water pollution abatement, and aquifer protection. The uniform policies adopted under this section, and regulations implementing those policies, may be implemented differently by the county and by cities within the county, and also may reflect differences between urban and rural areas within the county.
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