HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd2022-093 - CleanWhatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE
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'r Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
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• Agenda Bill Master Report
File Number: AB2022-636
File ID: AB2022-636 Version: 1 Status: Adopted
File Created: 10/31/2022 Entered by: JFleisch@co.whatcom wa.us
Department: Planning and File Type: Ordinance
Development Services
Department
Assigned to: Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee Final Action: 12/06/2022
Agenda Date: 12/06/2022 Enactment #: ORD 2022-093
Primary Contact Email: jshannah@co.whatcom.wa.us
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code 2.118, reactivating the Whatcom County Wildlife
Advisory Committee beyond December 31, 2022
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
The Whatcom County Wildlife Advisory Committee (WAC) completed the Whatcom County
Ecosystem Report in 2017. The Whatcom County Council authorized the reactiviation of the
Committee via Ordinance #2017-068, directing the WAC to continue to provide technical support in
advancing Goal(s) 9 and 11 of the Growth Managmenet Act. Ordinance #2017-068 contained a sunset
clause of December 31, 2022. Members of the WAC request the County Council authorize
continuation of the WAC so they may continue working on wildlife related issues in Whatcom County.
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE
Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To:
11/22/2022 Council INTRODUCED Council Climate Action and
Natural Resources Committee
Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
12/06/2022 Council Climate Action and Natural RECOMMENDED FOR
Resources Committee ADOPTION
Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 12/7/2022
Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2022-636
Aye:
2
Donovan, and Galloway
Nay:
0
Absent:
0
Abstain:
1
Elenbaas
12/06/2022 Council
ADOPTED
Aye:
5
Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, and Galloway
Nay:
1
Elenbaas
Absent:
1
Kershner
Attachments: Proposed Ordinance, Staff Memo, Wildlife Committee Accomplishment Memo 11.29.2022
Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 121712022
1 SPONSORED BY:
2 PROPOSED BY: Planning
3 INTRODUCTION DATE:
4
5 ORDINANCE NO. 2o22-Qg.
6
7 AMENDING WHATCOM COUNTY CODE 2.118, REACTIVATING THE WHATCOM
8 COUNTY WILDLIFE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BEYOND DECEMBER 31,2022
9
10 WHEREAS, the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires
11 Whatcom County to engage in comprehensive land use planning; and
12
13 WHEREAS, the GMA indicates that Whatcom County's comprehensive land use
14 planning efforts should foster land use patterns and develop a local vision of rural
15 character that will be compatible with the use of the land by wildlife and for fish and
16 wildlife habitat; and
17
18 WHEREAS, goal nine (9) of the GMA, in Revised Code of Washington (RCW)
19 36.70A.020, is to retain open space, enhance recreational opportunities, conserve fish
20 and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop
21 parks and recreation facilities; and
22
23 WHEREAS, in RCW 36.70A.160, the GMA directs local governments to identify
24 open space corridors within and between urban growth areas useful for recreation,
25 wildlife habitat, trails and connections between critical areas; and
26
27 WHEREAS, habitat conservation areas must be identified, designated and
28 protected through the use of best available science, according to RCW 36.70A.172; and
29
30 WHEREAS, goal eleven (11) of the GMA is to encourage the involvement of
31 citizens in the planning process and ensure coordination between communities and
32 jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts; and
33
34 WHEREAS, Whatcom County citizens have expressed to the County Council their
35 desire for the County to incorporate wildlife management and conservation planning for
36 fish and wildlife habitat into the Whatcom County land use planning process; and
37
38 WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council would benefit from the advice and
39 recommendations of those with background and technical expertise, including but not
40 limited to, in wildlife management, conservation science, and wildlife biology, when
41 making land use policy decisions, and
42
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WHEREAS, the County Council acknowledges the community has finite resources
requiring good fiscal and environmental stewardship, and the community would benefit
from achievable wildlife management recommendations, and;
WHEREAS, the County Council recognizes people are part of the landscape and
within a watershed diverse uses interact and depend on limited resources, requiring
balanced wildlife management recommendations which provide visible community and
ecological services, and; ,
WHEREAS, the County Council authorizes Planning and Development Services
Department or Public Works to fund a .25 FTE to staff the Wildlife Advisory Committee.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that
Whatcom County Code 2.118, creating the Whatcom County Wildlife Advisory
Committee, is amended as shown in Exhibit A.
ADOPT' ikhJ,� _H� day of nPc-Pmht r ,
.\�~ � ■9 G • •ttou�r• � �JfI
ATTE-T �l 1;11'n[/..•
r COQA
�' 1.
Dana BroVvn-Da4, tlerrk Qf the Council
G 1. 0" e o
APPROVED AS TO FOR'W'
Approved by email /s/ Royce Buckingham/MR
Royce Buckingham, Civil Deputy Prosecutor
2022.
Page 2
WHATCOM .COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATC COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Todd Donovan, Council Chair
WHATCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Satpal Sidh , County Executive
(t) Approved ( ) Denied
Date Signed: ZZ
EXHIBIT A
2
Chapter 2.118
3
WILDLIFE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
4
5
6
Sections:
7
2.118.010
Established
8
2.118.020
Purpose
9
2.118.030
Function
10
2.118.040
Qualifications
11
2.118.050
Membership
12
2.118.060
Term of Office
13
2.118.070
Organization — Meetings
14
2.118.080
Committee Staffing
15
16
17
2.118.010
Established.
18
The wildlife advisory committee is hereby established.
19
20
2.118.020
Purpose.
21
The committee will advise the Whatcom County Planning and
22
Development Services Department and Public Works Department staff and
23
the Whatcom County Council on the value of wildlife and habitat
24
management issues as they relate to the Whatcom County Comprehensive
25
Plan, with the goal of integrating wildlife management and protection into
26
the community planning process.
27
28
2.118.030
Function.
29
30
A. The committee will provide recommendations on integrating wildlife
31
management and protection issues relative to fulfilling goal nine (9) of
32
the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA): to retain open
33
space, enhance recreational opportunities, conserve fish and wildlife
34
habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and
35
develop parks and recreation facilities. The full committee shall provide
36
a recommendation on the need for an ongoing wildlife advisory
37
committee.
38
39
B. Each committee recommendation will consist of:
40
1. Identified issue or constraint;
41
2. Discussion of ecological process, function or species addressed;
42
3. Range of solutions considered;
43
4. Preferred solution;
44
5. Cost of implementation. A cost -benefit analysis is required when an
45
existing industry recognized method is available; at a minimum a
46
discussion of project costs and positive or adverse impacts where
47
community and ecological uses intersect;
48
6. Cite and reviewed references.
49
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3 C. The technical advisory subcommittee, as defined in WCC 2.118.050(B),
4 will:
5 1. Provide a periodic update to the Whatcom County Ecosystem
6 Report that includes the inventory, characterization, and
7 assessment of wildlife habitats and ecosystems that includes an
8 analysis of risk to the existing ecosystem conditions (Existing
9 Condition Report), to make management recommendations using
10 best available science that will provide appropriate habitat
11 conditions for local species, with an emphasis on biodiversity and
12 healthy ecosystem processes and functions. This may include
13 recommendations regarding wildlife corridors, landscape ecological
14 planning, wildlife habitat management, and avoiding or minimizing
15 human/wildlife conflict.
16 2. Address technical questions from the Whatcom County Council,
17 Whatcom County staff, or the Wildlife Advisory Committee.
18
19
20 2.118.040 Qualifications.
21 To qualify for County Council appointment to fill any vacancy on a board,
22 committee, or commission, a person shall be a qualified registered voter
23 in Whatcom County and be a member or employee of the agency or group
24 he or she is appointed to represent.
25
26 2.118.050 Membership.
27
28 A. The committee shall consist of 11 members.
29
30 B. Seven of the 11 members will have technical expertise in wildlife
31 and habitat management or current or past professional experience
32 such as, but not limited to, at least one of the following: wetlands
33 manager, wildlife biologist, conservation biologist, natural
34 resources manager, watershed scientist, ecological restoration
35 specialist, forestry protection, and tribal representative.
36 C. The County Council will appoint the voting committee members.
37 Member terms will be four years
38
39 D. The committee members shall serve without compensation.
40
41
42 2.118.060 Term of Office.
43
44 The committee shall serve until December 31, 2026.
45
46 2.118.070 Organization — Meetings.
47
48 A. Meetings of the Committee shall be open and accessible to the
49 public and shall be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act.
50 B. The Committee shall meet as needed to address wildlife related
51 planning needs.
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2.118.080
C. The Committee shall be responsible for taking accurate written
records.
D. Whatcom County staff shall be responsible for assuring the
meetings are audio recorded.
E. Written and audio recordings of meetings, resolutions, findings,
and recommendations shall be kept, and such records shall be
public.
F. The Committee shall comply with Whatcom County Code 2.03 -
Boards and Commissions.
G. The Committee shall adopt its own rules and procedures for the
conduct of business.
H. The Committee shall elect a chairperson from among its members
who shall preside at its meetings.
Committee Staffing.
A. The Whatcom County Planning and Development Services
Department and Whatcom County Public Works Department shall
provide available geographic information system (GIS) data and
other information to the committee as requested.
B. The Whatcom County Planning and Development Services
Department and the Whatcom County Public Works Department
shall provide technical assistance and assist with meeting
coordination.
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