Critical areas ordinance draws crowd in Hadlock

The following article appeared in the June 23, 2006 Jefferson County edition of the Peninsula Daily News.

A recurring theme in this discussion is that existing farms are exempt from the new provisions. What's not being said so loudly by the critical areas ordinance proposed update's proponents, though, is that new agricultural operations are not exempt from the update's provisions.

Agriculture is experiencing a transition in many areas of the county, with newly arriving people hoping to meet the rising demand for locally grown produce and other farm products. Should the new regulations go into effect as currently drafted, it will become far more difficult to establish a new farming operation in Jefferson County than it already is.

It's not just about agriculture, either, although our farming community is far more acutely aware of the potential outcomes of the update's implementation than other landowners may be at this point.

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Critical areas ordinance draws crowd in Hadlock

By Jeff Chew
Peninsula Daily News

PORT HADLOCK — In a room full of angry residents, farmers and business people, Jill Silver found herself in an unpopular position.

A watershed program manager and an evironmental scientist with the 10,000 Year Institute, Silver barely flinched as she read her statement supporting Jefferson County's much-maligned critical areas ordinance proposal.

"Recently reported inflammatory statements accuse the Washington Environmental Council of threatening the viability of local farmers and instituting Draconian 450-foot buffers on wetlands," said Silver.

"In fact, existing agricultural lands are exempt from the (critical areas) requirements."

Silver also supported the county commissioners' settlement agreement with the Washington Environmental Council. Silver was the only Jefferson County resident to come forward during a county Planning Commission public hearing Wednesday in favor of the ordinance.

150 showed up

Some 60 others spoke against the proposal.

In all, about 150 showed up to make their case before the commission in the Washington State University Learning Center.

After four hours of public remarks, the planning commission decided to indefinitely extend written public comments on the critical areas proposal.

A question-and-answer forum is also to be scheduled later, said County Planning Commission Chairman Jim Hagen.

Land use exemption

The ordinance's author, Josh Peters, county Development of Community Development senior planner, also emphasized that the county proposal came with an agriculture land use exemption for existing farms.

"You can continue to plow fields regardless of the crops you have," Peters said.

Hagen, however, expressed his delight in the public input.

Only two people registered comments at a public hearing a week ago, he said.

"We've got a few more tonight," he said, drawing laughter.

That was one of only a few light moments Wednesday night where the intensity of emotion ran high over proposed buffers in critical areas.

It was a night dominated by those protesting government regulation, with many voicing their general distrust of government's ability to govern.

"This should have been more promoted and advertised than what it was," said Mike Belenski, a Mats Mats Bay resident.

"This is not really about wetland issues. It's a county credibility issue."

Jefferson County Department of Community Development on May 17 drafted a critical areas ordinance defining the new buffers, and the department is now accepting public comments on the proposal.

Existing county buffers range from 25 to 150 feet, but the county, with the state Department of Ecology's recommendations, proposes 100 percent increases — from 50 to 300 feet.

Part of agreement

The proposed critical areas ordinance was part of an agreement struck with Washington Environmental Council, an environmental state lobbying group that went before the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board last year.

WEC argued that the county failed to comply with the state Growth Management Act regarding critical areas, such as wetland, salmon migration channels and flood zones.

Preston Drew, a former logger and vice president for Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, said, "What this is is an assault on your freedoms and property rights."

Port Townsend/Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.