Critical Areas Ordinance Stories

March 2009 – Seattle, WA: WA State Supreme Court rules against Critical Areas Ordinance freeze on private property


9/7/06 – County sued over meetings – Decisions leading to critical areas ordinanace are questioned – PT Leader

9/7/06 – Critical areas process linked to agenda issue – effectively establishes buffers of 450 feet – PT Leader

6/19/06 – Jefferson County Farmers’ Tractor Protest Gets Results -County commissioners extend deadline for critical areas ordinance – Kitsap Sun

6/16/06 – Onerous Critical Areas Ordinance in the making, says local farm bureau president – Jefferson County residents urged to attend planning commission meeting

Lawsuit over Initiative to Repeal
Clallam County Critical Areas Code

About Home Rule Charters and
County Forms of Government in Washington State

Court decisions

1/6/03 – Ruling by the State Appeals Court

9/4/02 –Initiative 6 goes to appeals court: Citizens claim right under Constitution has been sidestepped by unelected board by Sue Forde, Citizen Review Online

9/4/02 – Transcript of Oral Arguments before WA State Court of Appeals, Tacoma, WA

5/16/02 – Initiative 6 gets a minor win by Sue Forde, Citizen Review Online

5/1/02 – Initiative 6 presses forward in the courts to defend constitutional government – GMA-related local ordinance repeal stopped before going to voters – by Sue Forde, Citizen Review

4/27/02 – Initiative 6 presses forward in the courts to defend constitutional government – GMA-related local ordinance repeal stopped before going to voters – by Sue Forde, Citizen Review

12/7/01 – Initiative 6 – Repeal of Critical Areas Code – gets submitted for review to Washington State Supreme Court by Sue Forde, Citizen Review Online

9/27/01 – Local physician cites breach of oath of office by county commissioner; judge dismisses case – by Lois Krafsky-Perry, Citizen Review Online

9/27/01 Recall petition goes to judge; Initiative petition to go to state Supreme Court? – Sequim Gazette

9/23/01 – Court to decide ‘sufficiency of complaint’ on recall effort

9/21/01 –Activist plans to continue recall battle – PDN

9/21/01 Repeal effort gets additional blow – 2nd judge rules on critical area ordinance  PDN

9/19/01  Recall underway for official – Property-rights activist targets commissioner – PDN 

9/19/01  Recall filed against county commissioner Sequim Gazette

9/19/01 Local citizen honor promise, and files for recall of county commissioner – commentary by Anne Wagner, Citizen Review Online

9/19/01 – Local court rules against initiative right of the people – citizens plan on taking the issue to a higher court – by Anne Wagner, Citizen Review Online

9/19/01 – Judge rules Critical Areas initiative void – Nov. 6 ballot won’t present repeal effort – PDN

9/15/01 – Judge says he won’t force commissioners/auditor to place initiative on ballot until pro-tem judge rules – by Sue Forde, Citizen Review Online

9/14/01 – Critical areas code battle seen as continuing – Sequim Gazette

9/9/01 – Pro tem judge rules to hear Initiative 6 case – denies citizen’s request for dismissalTwo environmental organizations, one property rights group, allowed into case – by Anne Wagner & Lois Krafsky-Perry, for Citizen Review Online

9/9/01 More about 1000 Friends of Washington

9/9/01 The Code under which the two elected judges recused themselves 

9/5/01 Clallam County, WA: Two more judges recuse themselves from Initiative 6 hearing – by Anne Wagner, Citizen Review Online

9/5/01 – There go the judges! by Lois Krafsky-Perry

9/5/01 – Clallam County: Commissioners’ action against the people shows their contempt of the voters – a letter from West Seattle LP chair

9/5/01 – Clallam critical areas issue takes twists – Peninsula Daily News

9/3/01 – Initiative 6 Update: The ongoing battle to get it on the ballot – by Anne Wagner for Citizen Review Online

9/2/01 – Critical areas debate continues – PDN

8/29/01 – Clallam County Commissioners invalidates shoreline regs, but throws I-6 into the court to keep it off the ballot – PDN

8/24/01  Clallam County: Pro-tem judge drops out after question of conflict of interest – initiative backers get minor victory – Anne Wagner, Citizen Review Online

8/24/01 – Judge exists critical areas case – PDN

8/24/01 – BIAW wants to join initiative battle over Critical Areas Code repeal – Anne Wagner, Citizen Review 

8/24/01 – Homebuilders to request joining lawsuit – KONP

8/24/01 – Eloise Kailin of PPF (one of the environmental organizations wanting to join the county in the lawsuit against Bob Forde) comments on the Critical Areas Code Repeal Initiative – from PPF site

8/23/01 – Clallam County: County sues citizen over right of initiative – wants to prevent voters from exercising their right at the ballot  – court case begins Aug. 24th – Anne Wagner, Citizen Review Online 

8/23/01 – Sequim resident fights law he thinks goes too far   – Sequim Gazette

8/23/01 – Critical areas law initiative in court on Friday – PDN

8/16/01 – Clallam County: Environmental groups seeks to join lawsuit against citizen in Critical Areas Code case – wants right to initiative taken from voters – by Anne Wagner for Citizen Review

posted 8/16/01Transcript of Clallam County Commissioner’s meeting where initiative process was referred to courts on July 24, 2001

posted 8/16/01 – Testimony given at Commissioner’s meeting on July 24, 2001

Critical Areas Code, C.C.C. 27.12 (Effective 1/7/2000)

Critical Areas Code, Public Hearing Draft (328k)

Clallam County Home Rule Charter (234k)

The above are PDF files – allow some time for download

Excerpts from the Critical Areas Code

 What is the Clallam County Home Rule Charter?

CLALLAM COUNTY CRITICAL AREAS CODE
RELATED STORIES
2001

Aug. 8, 2001 – Clallam County, WA – Critical Areas Ordinance opponent considers county lawsuit a personal attack, affront to voter and property rights – PDN

Aug. 5 – Clallam County: Commissioner Tharinger’s take on the Critical Areas Code (he’s the one who determined to turn the matter to the courts rather than to the voters) – Sequim Gazett]e

Aug. 5 – Charter has little impact on politicos – commentary by Martha Ireland, former Clallam County Commissioner

July 25 – Clallam County:  County commissioners circumvent rights of the people – send initiative to the courts rather than to the ballot box – Citizen Review Online

July 25 – County to fight Critical Areas Code petition – Sequim Gazette

July 25 – Clallam County Critical Areas Code repeal headed for court PDN

July 25 – Commissioners’ actions call for recall, declares local doctor KONP Radio

July 23 – Clallam County voters may decide Critical Areas rules on ballot (with comment) – PDN

July 21 – The count is in: Citizens’ critical areas code repeal initiative is headed for the ballot – Citizen Review Online

July 12 – Critical Areas Code debate re-ignited 
An attempt to throw out the critical areas ordinance has reopened the debate between property rights and environmental groups over the need for such a law.   –
Sequim Gazette

July 12 – Critical County Areas – editorial by the Sequim Gazette

July 10 – Critical Areas Code Repeal Initiative to go on the ballot – local papers report

July 8 – Clallam County: Initiative to Repeal the Critical Areas Code gains sufficient signatures to go on the ballot; next step – to auditor for signature validations

July 8 – Interpretation and enforcement of Critical Areas Code creates a burden on the people – commentary by John Kaufmann

July 3 – Letter to the Editor: Repeal Critical Areas Code – Toni Lyckman

June 27 – Frustrated Clallam County citizen speaks out about extraordinary requirements to place property into “pre-man” condition under Critical Areas Code

June 21 – County passes amended Critical Areas Code, 2-1 – Lone commissioner stands against it- PDN

June 7 – Critical Areas Code revamping makes it tougher on landowners – Sue Forde

June 2 – “No compromise,” says leader of initiative to repeal Critical Areas Code – by Lois Krafsky-Perry

 

Critical Areas law spurs Sequim dispute ••••
SEQUIM: CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE UNDER FIRE AGAIN 2001-04-27

Citizens rally to overturn Critical Areas Code ••••
Citizens rally to overturn Critical Areas Code By Lois Krafsky-Perry for Citizen Review Online Port Angeles, WA – 4/24/01

. Activists mount campaign to repeal Critical Areas Code ••••
Campaign proposed to end critical areas ordinance by Dan Ross, Sequim Gazette 4/21/01

4/12/2001 Activists file initiative to repeal the Critical Areas Code – Sequim Gazette

 

From the Citizen Review Online:

New strategies for taking private property overlay the Critical Areas Code – 1/16/2001

The ‘water police’ are coming – 1/10/2001

Timber group charges Critical Areas Code as unconstitutional – 1/9/2001

State orders tougher land-use rules, calls for bigger buffers •••
1/9/2001


Stories from the year 2000

County ordinance squelches humanitarian act; harms right of private ownership 12/28/2000

Federation joins Libertarians to oppose Critical Areas Code Clallam County, WA – 12/13/2000

.Mike Chapman backs property rights as Commissioner candidate – says he’ll back repeal of CAC – 12/13/2000

County Work Session Announcement Misinformed Public on Scheduled CAO Plans 8/2/2000

Environmental Groups challenge CAC – SG, 3/14/2000

The Embattled Critical Areas Code – 3/10/2000

Staff promotes Conservation Easements as the easier way “to comply” with Critical Areas Code Port Angeles, WA 2/2/2000

Local Libertarian Party pushes to repeal bureaucrat-laden ordinance2/1/2000

Initiative No. 6- Critical Areas Code Repeal Shall Ordinance No. 681, commonly known as the Clallam County Critical Areas Code -1/28/2000

Libertarians petition against CAC SG 1/5/2000 and at
Libertarians petition against CAC SG 1/5/2000  – SG, 1/10/00


Stories from the year 1999

Libertarian Party files for repeal of Critical Areas Ordinance – 12/30/99

Proposed Critical Areas Ordinance Hearing Set – 12/2/99

CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE – Observations about the CAO by Lois Krafsky-Perry 9/2/99

Definitions and Coverage of portions of the Proposed Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) of Clallam County, WA. Compiled by Sue Forde – 9/2/99

RECOMMENDED BUFFER DISTANCES ARE WIDENING in CAO
by Lois Perry
– 9/2/99

Citizens Address CAO Concerns To Commissioners •••
Citizens Address CAO Concerns To Commissioners 7/26/99

Local Residents Express Shock At Critical Ordinance Proposal Sequim, Washington – July 19, 1999


About the Clallam County CAC – From Other News Sources:

Sequim discusses CAC SG 9/99

Ordinance identifies critical areas – SG 9/99

CAO ready for review – SG – 9/99

Randy Johnson’s take on the interim CAO, 12/17/99

County Commissioners approve the new CAC – SG, 12/30/99
and at http://www.sequimgazette.com/News/CountyNews/ClallamOKscriticalar000194.html

 

Washington Environmental Council and Protect the Peninsula’s Future have joined in a lawsuit to set aside the Clallam County Critical Areas Code.

 

News Stories About Critical Areas Codes around Washington State

Feb. 2005 – Opponents of Critical Areas Ordinance stage protest -King 5 News

12/1/04 – ‘Critical areas ordinance’ provokes bitter ‘rural vs. urban’ dispute – Seattle P-I

12/1/04 – Critical areas a critical matter – Seattle P-I

Nov. 2004 – Referendum drive aims to fight land restrictions – Seattle Times

King County to enforce critical areas code more strictly, under “Smart Growth”

Environmental Performance Review in Thurston County – talks about their CAC

Article on Snohomish County’s Critical Areas Ordinance

Lewis County braces for endangered steelhead – tougher critical areas ordinances

June 2004 – Property owners discuss Critical Areas Ordinance – Snoqualmie Valley Record

July 2004 – Buffer debate returns – A proposed critical areas ordinance renews debate over the need for buffers to protect fish and wildlife – Bremerton Sun

July 2004 – Open letter to King County about Critical Areas Ordinance – Property Rights research

Court Rulings

Recent Supreme Court ruling on Recall

For more stories about the Critical Areas Codes – type in Critical Areas ordinance into the Citizen Review search engine below: