The mission of the Regional Planning Commission is to formulate a comprehensive land use plan that strikes a responsible balance between private property rights, economic diversity and the quality of the environment. The plan will serve as the foundation for land use regulations that will be simple, minimally intrusive, and inexpensive to apply. These regulations will facilitate economic development within the Forks urban growth area. The Comprehensive Plan will also serve to maintain the rural character of the areas outside of the urban growth area.

The characteristics of rural areas that residents currently enjoy should be maintained in the Plan. Large lot sizes and minimal nuisances like noise, lights, odor or traffic should be found in rural areas. Small, home-based businesses and industries should be supported and encouraged.

The land base for private land use in this region is limited. Table 4 below demonstrates the actual acreage and percentage of lands within the planning area (Note: commercial forest lands in these tables indicate State and private lands. The Olympic National Forest has also been designated as commercial forest lands).