18I.10.030 Intent.
Agricultural, Forest, and Mineral Resource Lands constitute natural resource lands. All of these areas are of special concern to the people of Pierce County and the State of Washington. The intent of this Title is to conserve the natural resource lands of Pierce County by establishing minimum standards for development of sites which contain or are adjacent to natural resource lands and thus promote the public health, safety, and welfare by:
A. Mitigating unavoidable impacts by regulating development;
B. Protecting from impacts of development;
C. Protecting the public against losses from:
1. Costs of public emergency rescue and relief operations where the causes are avoidable;
2. Degradation of the natural environment and the expense associated with repair or replacement;
D. Preventing adverse impacts on water availability, water quality, wetlands, and streams;
E. Protecting unique, fragile, and valuable elements of the environment;
F. Providing County officials with sufficient information to adequately protect natural resource lands when approving, conditioning, or denying public or private development proposals;
G. Implementing the goals and requirements of the Growth Management Act of 1990, the State Environmental Policy Act, the Puget Sound Water Quality Management Plan, the Pierce County Charter, the Pierce County Interim Growth Management Policies, the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan, and all updates and amendments, functional plans, and other land use policies formally adopted or accepted by Pierce County.