Land Use Planning

• Growth Management Act & Shoreline Management Act Technical Assistance
  The Growth Management Act (GMA) and Shoreline Management Act (SMA) require Washington counties and cities to take a comprehensive, coordinated, proactive approach to planning that will guide land and shoreline development in their jurisdictions. Among their many provisions, these Acts require protection of fish and wildlife habitat. WDFW has resources to assist local governments with meeting that mandate.
• Local Habitat Assessments
  The Local Habitat Assessment (LHA) is a methodology to map current habitat conditions at a countywide and watershed scale. The LHA combines regional biodiversity priorities with local indicators of habitat condition, such as land conversion, road density, and fish and wildlife priority areas. This approach is designed to aid county land use planning.
• Fish and Wildlife Planner Newsletter
  This newsletter was specifically developed for Washington’s planning professionals. It includes articles about relevant activities occurring at WDFW, case studies of jurisdictions that have tackled difficult issues using innovative approaches, updates on workshops and other learning opportunities, as well as a directory of contacts at our agency to answer planning-related questions.