Welcome to Skagit County

October 8, 2007

SKAGIT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SIGN RESOLUTION TO TAKE PRO-ACTIVE APPROACH ON CRITICAL AREAS INVOLVING ONGOING AGRICULTURE AND SALMON RECOVERY

SKAGIT COUNTY – The Skagit County Board of Commissioners signed a resolution today that directs County departments to proactively pursue salmon recovery efforts while protecting the viability of agriculture.

The resolution directs County departments to consider salmon recovery in all their actions, and pursue grant funds for salmon habitat enhancement. The resolution orders Skagit County departments to consider the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan and local watershed action plans in taking any action. County departments must consider adoption of measures to implement their recommendations whenever reasonable. Such measures may include enhancing riparian habitat when it is reasonable while working on adjacent country roads and controlling drainage, training road crews in Best Management Practices, preventing spraying harmful pesticides near salmon streams, enhancing riparian habitat within county-owned lands, acquiring habitat adjacent to county parks, and integrating education about salmon issues into interpretive centers and road signs. The resolution also requires each County department to report annually to the Board of Commissioners about salmon recovery measures their department has accomplished during the preceding year.

The resolution lays the groundwork to address problems with the County’s current critical areas ordinance applicable to agricultural lands. On September 13, 2007, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in Swinomish Tribe v. Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board that Skagit County need not automatically impose buffers on agricultural land, but ruled that the County’s Monitoring and Adaptive Management program lacks sufficiently specific benchmarks. During the 2007 Washington State Legislative session, Substitute Senate Bill 5248 declared a time out until July 1, 2010, during which Critical Areas Ordinances applying to agricultural activities may not be amended. During the time-out, the WSU/UW Ruckelshaus Center will conduct fact-finding among stakeholder groups and recommend policy options to resolve the controversy over protection of critical areas in agricultural lands. In accordance with SSB 5248, the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board extended the compliance deadline for Skagit County to make changes to its monitoring and adaptive management plan for critical ordinances until December 28, 2010.

“We want to take a pro-active approach to the recent Supreme Court decision,” said Skagit County Commissioner Sharon Dillon. “This resolution starts the planning process for a comprehensive strategy that will both protect ongoing agriculture and enhance salmon recovery efforts in Skagit County.”

The resolution also calls for Skagit County to collaborate with the Skagit Conservation District, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, Western Washington Agricultural Association, Skagit Land Trust, the tribes, resource agencies, and other salmon groups whenever possible to achieve these objectives.

For further information, contact:
Ryan Walters
Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
360-419-3382