Environmental Reviews

Like all local jurisdictions, the City of Ferndale is required to protect the environment when planning for future growth and development. City staff strive daily to plan such measures and to be proactively prepared for the city's future.

Here are three major areas of environmental review the City of Ferndale Community Development Department manages:

Overall Growth

The Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) requires that jurisdictions plan for growth in part by adopting regulations intended to protect the functions of critical areas such as wetlands.  The City of Ferndale has done so by adopting its current Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO).

Shoreline Management & Protection

The Shoreline Management Act of 1971 (RCW 90.58) requires that jurisdictions within Whatcom County develop or amend a Shoreline Master Program by December 1, 2005.  The City of Ferndale amended its shoreline program in 2006, and received final approval in 2008.

Documents (Note: Right-Click and "Save-As" Large Files):

Shoreline Master Program - Adopted January 2008

Shoreline Master Program Buffers Map

Program Appendix

Additional Program Information

Overall Environmental Protection

The State Environmental Policy Act (RCW 43.21C), otherwise known as SEPA, was established in 1972, and requires that proposals that could have an impact on the environment provide documentation to the jurisdiction identifying the potential impacts and possible mitigation measures to address the impacts.  The environmental document is typically a SEPA Checklist (see link below).  Upon review of the checklist and the probable impacts, the City will make a “threshold determination.”  This determination will be in one of several forms:

• Determination of Non-Significance (DNS): No adverse environmental impacts are expected.

• Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS): The development may generate adverse impacts, but that those impacts can be addressed through specific mitigation.

• Determination of Significance (DS): The development will generate impacts that may not be able to be mitigated.  A DS requires that a full study, called an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be completed. 

Documents

SEPA Checklist

 

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