|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday,
August 27, 2009
| Contact: |
Cynthia Wilson, Senior Planner, 360-786-5475 |
|
Jeremy Davis,
Associate Planner, 360- 754-3355 ext. 7010 |
Hearings Set
on Moratorium and
Prairie
Lands
Regulations
OLYMPIA
– Thurston County Commissioners next month, will hold two public hearings;
one on a development moratorium in the Maytown area, the second on regulation
of prairie lands in the county. The
hearings will be held back to back on September 15th.
The first hearing is to accept public comment on the
renewal of Ordinance No. 14046, commonly referred to as the Maytown
Moratorium, which placed a moratorium temporarily prohibiting any new uses for
the portions of Thurston County Assessors Parcel Numbers 12602300200 and
12602340100 zoned Rural Resource Industrial. Ordinance No. 14211 renewed the
moratorium until October 15, 2009. The area under moratorium is generally
located east of
Tilley Road SE
at
Maytown Rd. SE
. The renewal period is proposed to be six months. For more information on
this ordinance, contact Associate Planner Jeremy Davis at 754-3355 ext. 7010
or via email davisj@co.thurston.wa.us
The second hearing is to accept public comment on the
Prairie Conservation Ordinance enacted as an interim regulation to help
conserve south
Puget Sound
’s last remaining oak woodland habitats and native prairies. Approximately
three percent of south
Puget Sound
’s original native prairies (estimated to be about 150,000 acres) now
remain. The interim ordinance made the county’s definition of prairies
consistent with state and federal guidelines, requiring that persons seeking
to develop areas that may contain prairies identify the location of
prairies, and, as necessary, develop Prairie Habitat Conservation plans
to reduce development impacts to prairies.
Commissioners felt prompt action was necessary to prevent further
degradation to this increasingly scarce resource.
Prairies used to extend throughout
Thurston
County
from
Rochester
up to an area just south of
Tacoma
. Some of the south Puget Sound’s most valuable remaining prairies are
located in
Thurston
County
. Prairie and oak habitats are home to endangered plants such as the golden
paintbrush as well as threatened and endangered wildlife and insect species
such as the Mazama pocket gopher, streaked horned lark and
Taylor
’s checkerspot butterfly.
These species as well as other prairie dependent species
are found in only a small number of places in the world. In recent years,
south
Puget Sound
prairies have become threatened due to development and the invasion of
non-native plant species. A few of the larger prairies can be easily seen,
such as the Mima Mounds and the Glacial Heritage Preserve, while others are
scattered among forests, farms and houses.
For more information on the ordinance and on
Thurston
County
prairies, contact Senior Planner Cynthia Wilson at 786-5475 or via email wilsonc@co.thurston.wa.us
Both hearings will be held on Tuesday, September 15,
2009, the first beginning at 5:30 P.M. The
location is Room 280, Building 1 of the Thurston County Courthouse Complex,
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW
,
Olympia
,
WA
98502
.
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