The city council of the city of Forks hereby finds that:
(1) 
Wetlands and their buffer areas are valuable and fragile natural resources with significant development constraints due to flooding, erosion, soil liquefaction potential, and septic disposal limitations.
(2) 
In their natural state, wetlands provide many valuable social and ecological services, including:
(a) 
Controlling flooding and stormwater runoff by storing or regulating natural flows;
(b) 
Protecting water resources by filtering out water pollutants, processing biological and chemical oxygen demand, recycling and storing nutrients, and serving as settling basins for naturally occurring sedimentation;
(c) 
Providing areas for ground water recharge;
(d) 
Preventing shoreline erosion by stabilizing the substrate;
(e) 
Providing habitat areas for many species of fish, wildlife, and vegetation, many of which are dependent on wetlands for their survival, and many of which are on Washington State and federal endangered species lists;
(f) 
Providing open space and visual relief from intense development in urbanized areas;
(g) 
Providing recreation opportunities; and
(h) 
Serving as areas for scientific study and natural resource education.
(3) 
Development in wetlands often results in the reduction of services provided by wetlands.
(4) 
Buffer areas surrounding wetlands assist in the maintenance and protection of wetland functions and values.
(5) 
The loss of the social and ecological services provided by wetlands results in a detriment to public safety and welfare; replacement of such services, if possible at all, can require considerable public expenditure.
(6) 
A considerable acreage of these important natural resources has been lost or degraded by draining, dredging, filling, excavating, building, polluting, and other acts inconsistent with the natural uses of such areas. Remaining wetlands are in jeopardy of being lost, despoiled, or impaired by such acts.
It is therefore necessary for the city of Forks to protect for wetland areas by discouraging development activities in wetlands and those activities at adjacent sites that may adversely affect wetland functions and values.
(7) 
Economic factors should be considered in the application and interpretation of wetland ordinances due to the limited number of wetlands in the city of Forks and surrounding areas, the limited resources available to the city of Forks to administer wetlands ordinances, and the priority of the city of Forks to promote and foster economic development.
(Ord. 341 § 1.1, 1992)
(1) 
The primary purpose of this chapter is to satisfy the requirements of the Growth Management Act. Pursuant to the requirements of the Growth Management Act, it is the policy of the city of Forks to promote the protection of wetlands and to avoid or minimize damage to wetlands wherever possible and economically feasible and to encourage activities not dependant upon a wetland location to be located at upland sites.
(2) 
In addition, it is the intent of the city of Forks that activities in or affecting wetlands not threaten public safety, cause nuisances, or destroy or degrade natural wetland functions and values by adversely impacting the social and ecological services provided by wetlands as detailed in FMC § 14.15.010(2).
(Ord. 341 § 1.2, 1992)