A. Applicability. This title shall apply to all lands, land uses and development activity in the City which are designated as critical areas or natural resource lands by the City, including wetlands. Properties containing critical areas or natural resource lands are subject to this title. When the requirements of this title are more stringent than those of other City codes and regulations, the requirements of this title shall apply.

Where a site contains two or more critical areas, the site shall meet the minimum standards and requirements for each identified critical area as set forth in this title.

Critical areas on lands subject to the Washington State Shoreline Management Act (SMA) and regulated by the City’s shoreline management regulations shall be regulated under the shoreline provisions and are not subject to the procedural and substantive requirements of this title. Nothing in this section, however, is intended to limit or change the quality of information to be applied in protecting critical areas within shorelines of the state. Shorelines of the state shall not be considered critical areas under this title except to the extent that specific areas located within such shorelines qualify for critical area designation based on the definition of critical areas provided by RCW 36.70A.030(5) and have been designated as such by the City’s critical areas regulations.

If the City’s shoreline regulations do not include land necessary for buffers for critical areas that occur within shoreline areas, then the City shall continue to regulate those critical areas and their required buffers pursuant to this title.

B. Mapping. Maps may be developed and maintained by the City which show the general location of critical areas for informational purposes. The actual presence of critical areas and the applicability of these regulations shall be determined by the classification criteria established for each critical area. [Ord. 590 § 2, 2014; Ord. 362 § 3, 2004.]