35.35.020 General policies for all critical areas.
(1) The beneficial functions of critical areas, including critical saltwater and critical freshwater habitats, within shoreline jurisdiction should be protected, and potential dangers or public costs associated with the inappropriate use of such areas should be minimized by reasonable regulation of uses/developments within, adjacent to, or directly affecting such areas.
(2) To implement the policy stated above, it is the intent of this chapter to accomplish the following:
(a) Classify, designate, and regulate critical areas according to the Growth Management Act requirements in Chapter 36.70A RCW.
(b) Preserve, protect, manage, or regulate critical areas that have a direct or indirect effect on conserving fish, wildlife, other natural resources and values.
(c) Conserve and protect the environmental attributes of Clallam County that contribute to the quality of life for residents of both Clallam County and the State of Washington.
(d) Protect critical areas, including critical saltwater and critical freshwater habitats, and their functions by regulating use and development within these areas and on adjacent lands.
(e) Guide development proposals to the most environmentally suitable and naturally stable portion of a development site.
(f) Protect people and property from hazards associated with floods, storm surges, rising sea levels, landslides, erosion, migrating river channels, tsunamis, and other natural processes or events.
(g) Minimize the costs that the public has to bear to protect properties in hazardous areas or to repair damages associated with floods and other hazards.
(h) Reduce cumulative adverse environmental impacts to water availability, water quality, wetlands, aquatic and wildlife habitat conservation areas, frequently flooded areas, and geologically hazardous areas.
(i) Promote harmonious coexistence between the critical areas and the ongoing use of preexisting developments in and around critical areas.
(j) Maintain and protect both acreage and functions of regulated wetlands in Clallam County through general protection standards, enhancement, restoration, and creation.
(k) Protect water quality by controlling erosion, providing guidance in the siting of land uses and activities to prevent or reduce the release of chemical or bacterial pollutants into waters of the State, and maintaining stream flows and habitat quality for fish and marine shellfish.
(l) Conserve drainage features that function together or independently to collect, store, purify, discharge, and/or convey waters of the State.
(m) Maintain groundwater recharge and prevent the contamination of groundwater resources to ensure water quality and quantity for public and private uses and critical area functions.
(n) Promote the restoration of degraded critical areas and their buffers in order to regain lost ecological functions and values and improve the economic health and stability of Clallam County.
(o) Protect feeder bluffs’ ability to provide for essential, long-term supply of sediment to beaches, spits, nearshore habitats, and other important shoreforms.