What is a Natural Resource Inventory and why does Washington County have one?

Statewide Planning Goal 5 (Natural Resources, Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open Spaces) is a broad statewide planning goal covering many resources, including significant fish and wildlife habitats.

Natural resources identified under Statewide Planning Goal 5 promote a healthy environment and a natural landscape that contributes to Oregon’s livability.  Goal 5 requires cities and counties to adopt programs to protect these resources for present and future generations. In Washington County, Goal 5 resources are called Significant Natural Resources (SNRs).

The first step in protecting SNRs is completing the inventory process. An “inventory” is a map identifying the general location and type of resources. The information must be sufficient to determine whether a resource exists on a site. However, a precise location of the resource for a site, as required for building permits, is not necessary at this stage.

We’re not starting with a blank slate. The draft map uses habitat resource inventories previously prepared by both Washington County and Metro to help decide which habitat resources are significant.

Aren't natural resources already regulated?

We do have a Significant Natural Resource inventory. Our program includes work completed in the 1980s that was updated in the mid-2000s under Metro.

The 1980s SNR inventory identifies locally significant fish and wildlife habitats in unincorporated Washington County. See our urban Community Plan and Rural Natural Resource Plan maps. The current County regulations that protect, preserve or mitigate impacts are in Community Development Code Section 422.

In addition, some natural resources are also regulated by other agencies such as Clean Water Services and the Oregon Department of State Lands. This project will not impact those regulations.

Why is Washington County updating its natural resource program now?

We began reviewing our natural resource program in 2020 to address out-of-date natural resources inventory and regulations that weren’t clear and objective.

We adopted changes to our regulations, but these were legally challenged and did not go into effect. The legal decision gave us a roadmap to follow when developing new regulations. We must:

  • Follow the prescribed planning process in Statewide Planning Goal 5, ensuring all steps are properly followed, and
  • Craft development regulations that are clear and objective.
     

The process takes time! While this effort is underway, an enforcement order and halt on development in wildlife habitat areas is in place until the effective date of our new regulations. Learn more about the enforcement order.

We plan to have new regulations adopted by Oct. 1, 2024.

What does the natural resources program update mean for my property?

The SNR program update will include changes to the development regulations for SNRs. If your property contains Riparian Habitat and/or Upland Wildlife Habitat,  and you are planning to make changes to your property, those changes may be affected by future changes to the development regulations. 

Learn More about SNR: A Focused Look at Fish and Wildlife Habitat.

What are the expected project outcomes?

When the natural resources program update is complete, there will be:

  • New maps updating the locations of natural habitat resources in the urban unincorporated area
  • Detailed analysis evaluating impacts of allowing land uses that may conflict with habitat resources
  • Changes to County Comprehensive Plan policies and development review standards

Glossary

  • Habitat: Place where a plant or animal species naturally lives and grows, providing for food, shelter and reproductive needs.
  • Riparian Habitat: Rivers, streams, wetlands, undeveloped floodplains, forest canopy and adjacent areas. These provide important habitat for fish and wildlife as well as other water quality functions.
  • Upland Wildlife Habitat Class A: Vegetated areas beyond the riparian habitat, including larger forest patches that are considered of high value, that provide habitat for wildlife. May include areas that enhance the Riparian Habitat value or are unique or unusually important wildlife habitats based on site specific information from the original inventory.
  • Upland Wildlife Habitat Class B:  Vegetated areas beyond the riparian habitat that are considered of moderate value, including medium-sized forest patches, that provide wildlife habitat. These are different from Upland Wildlife Habitat Class A by being further from water areas or providing lesser- quality habitat.  
  • County Wildlife Habitat: Areas identified through the County’s process in the 1980s as sensitive habitats, and forested areas near water areas and wetlands.