14.100.520 Critical Area Report—Additional Requirements for Conservation Habitat Areas.
In addition to the general critical area report requirements of Section 14.100.060, critical area reports for habitat conservation areas must meet the requirements of this section. Critical area reports for two (2) or more types of critical areas must meet the report requirements for each relevant type of critical area.
A. Preparation by a Qualified Professional. A critical areas report for a habitat conservation area shall be prepared by a qualified professional who is a biologist with experience preparing reports for the relevant type of habitat.
B. Areas Addressed in Critical Area Report. The following areas shall be addressed in a critical area report for habitat conservation areas:
1. The project area of the proposed activity;
2. All habitat conservation areas and recommended buffers within three hundred (300) feet of the project area; and
3. All shoreline areas, floodplains, other critical areas, and related buffers within three hundred (300) feet of the project area.
C. Habitat Assessment. A habitat assessment is an investigation of the project area to evaluate the potential presence or absence of designated critical fish or wildlife species or habitat. A critical area report for a habitat conservation area shall contain an assessment of habitats including the following site- and proposal-related information at a minimum:
1. Detailed description of vegetation on and adjacent to the project area and its associated buffer;
2. Identification of any species of local importance, priority species, or endangered, threatened, sensitive, or candidate species that have a primary association with habitat on or adjacent to the project area, and assessment of potential project impacts to the use of the site by the species;
3. A discussion of any federal, state, or local special management recommendations, including Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife habitat management recommendations, that have been developed for species or habitats located on or adjacent to the project area;
4. A detailed discussion of the direct and indirect potential impacts on habitat by the project, including potential impacts to water quality;
5. A discussion of measures, including avoidance, minimization, and mitigation, proposed to preserve existing habitats and restore any habitat that was degraded prior to the current proposed land use activity and to be conducted in accordance with Mitigation Sequencing, Section 14.100.071; and
6. A discussion of ongoing management practices that will protect habitat after the project site has been developed, including proposed monitoring and maintenance programs.
D. Additional Information May Be Required. When appropriate due to the type of habitat or species present or the project area conditions, the director may also require the habitat management plan to include:
1. An evaluation by an independent qualified professional regarding the applicant’s analysis and the effectiveness of any proposed mitigating measures or programs, to include any recommendations as appropriate;
2. A request for consultation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife or the local Native American Indian Tribe or other appropriate agency; and
3. Detailed surface and subsurface hydrologic features both on and adjacent to the site.
4. Potential for restoring lost and impaired salmonid habitat.
5. Potential for designating areas important for local and eco-regional biodiversity.
6. Establishing or enhancing nonregulatory approaches in addition to regulatory methods to protect fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas.