Whatcom County Planning Commission

The meeting centered on strengthening agricultural land protections while ensuring they remain economically viable for farming. Commissioner Dunn led efforts to ensure county policies align with state law, arguing the current language created potential conflicts between county criteria and state requirements. Commissioner Browne raised significant concerns about protecting only productive agricultural land, presenting detailed soil analysis showing much designated "prime" farmland lacks adequate water or soil quality for actual farming. He advocated for water rights requirements but the Commission worried this would exclude legitimate farming operations like hay production or livestock grazing that don't require irrigation. The density credit program emerged as a problematic policy area. Director Personius a…

**Eliza Steele (Agriculture Advisory Committee Vice Chair):** Opposed water rights requirements, noting livestock watering isn't subject to water adjudication and requirements would eliminate agricultural lands that don't need formal water rights but are actively farmed. **Lauren Templeton (Conservation Easement Administrator):** Supported the Commission's conservation easement amendments, confirming they align with current program practices that already allow farmstead areas and agricultural buildings within easement terms. **Director Mark Personius:** Acknowledged density credit program shortcomings while explaining its origins as an alternati…

**Commissioner Dunn, on legal compliance:** "I think obviously we have to follow the law when we're doing this. That's primary thing. And then we can do some other things you want to, but we absolutely have to follow the law and then on top of that." **Commissioner Browne, on protecting productive land:** "I'm all for protecting eggland and I think it's a very important part of the overarching commentary in this part of the chapter. But what I want to do is protect eggland that can act…

The Chapter 8 Resource Lands section now requires agricultural land designations to explicitly follow state law (RCW 36.70A.050 and WAC 365.190) rather than relying solely on county criteria. The problematic density credit program language has been removed, acknowledging the program doesn't function as intended. Conservation easement and TDR policies now explicitly protect farming ability in addition to land preservation, ensuring easement terms allow necessary agricultural infrastructure and farmworker housing. The soil classification criteria expanded beyond prime farmland to include farmland of statewide importance, potentially broadening agric…

--- ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Planning Commission met on October 23, 2025, for a public hearing and work session on Chapter 8 (Resource Lands) of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update. Commissioners spent the majority of the evening deliberating on agricultural land policies, voting on nine motions to amend Chapter 8, and receiving an update from Planning Director Mark Personius on recent County Council actions regarding Urban Growth Area proposals. --- ## Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A long-range planning document required by Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) that guides land use, housing, transportation, utilities, and other county-wide policies. Whatcom County is updating its plan for the first time since 2016. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** A boundary designated under the GMA that identifies where urban development is expected to occur. Cities can only annex land within their UGA. Cities can also have UGA Reserves — areas where they anticipate future expansion beyond the current planning period. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law (RCW 36.70A) that requires counties and cities to plan for growth while protecting natural resources, farmland, forestry, and critical areas. It sets minimum requirements that county comprehensive plans must meet. **WAC (Washington Administrative Code):** Detailed state regulations that implement state laws. In land use planning, WAC 365-190 establishes the guidelines counties must follow when designating agricultural and other resource lands. **RCW (Revised Code of Washington):** Washington State statutes. RCW 36.70A.050 governs the designation of resource lands, including agricultural land. **APO (Agricultural Protection Overlay):** A Whatcom County zoning designation that identifies lands with soils classified as prime farmland by the NRCS. It provides additional protections to those lands beyond basic agricultural zoning. **NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service):** A federal agency (part of the USDA) that maps and classifies soil types, including "prime farmland soils" and "farmland of statewide importance." The county uses NRCS data to identify agricultural lands. **Transfer of Development Rights (TDR):** A voluntary program in which property owners in one area (a "sending area") sell their development rights to landowners or developers in another area (a "receiving area"), allowing development to be redirected away from sensitive or productive lands. **Conservation Easement:** A voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or land trust that permanently limits certain uses of the land — typically development — in order to protect agricultural, ecological, or other values. Whatcom County operates a Conservation Easement Program (CEP). **De-designation:** The process of removing a parcel's designation as an agricultural resource land of long-term commercial significance, which is typically required before that land can be included in an Urban Growth Area. **Soil Capability Class:** A NRCS classification system that ranks soils from Class I (most productive, fewest limitations) to Class VIII (unsuitable for farming). Commissioner Browne argued that the county relies on a surface-level soil classification and should look deeper at capability classes to determine true agricultural productivity. --- ## Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kelvin Barton | Planning Commis…