SEP22-0031_ChehalisWestlundEnbodyUGA_Comments State of Washington
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
5525 South 11th St Ridgefield, WA 98642
Telephone: (360) 696-6211 Fax: (360) 906-6776
September 13, 2022
Preston Pinkston
Lewis County Community Development Department
2025 NE Kresky Ave
Chehalis, WA 98532
RE: WDFW Comments on the proposed expansion of the UGA for City of Chehalis
Dear Mr. Pinkston:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Chehalis Westlund-Enbody and Chehalis
Breen UGA Expansion Proposals. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
has reviewed this proposal and offers the following comments for your consideration.
applying a Conservation Easement to the floodplain portion of the properties in these proposals,
should the proposals be approved. Based on experience over the past two decades, we know that
damages to infrastructure, residences and businesses in the floodplain are inevitable, and can be
avoided by preventing development of that kind in those habitats. In addition, avoiding
development in floodplain habitats protects the riparian buffer and maintains a critical corridor
for wildlife that migrate between the Cascades and the coast.
However, we would encourage the City of Chehalis to step back from an expansion of the
UGA at this time. WDFW encourages compact development strategies and the maintenance of
open space. Expansion of urban development leads to the fragmentation of wildlife habitat and
negative effects on fish life and water quality through impacts to our wetlands, rivers and
streams.
Habitat fragmentation negatively impacts species by creating small, isolated habitat patches of
reduced quality for wildlife. While fragmentation happens on a site-by-site basis, its effect on
wildlife is felt at the landscape scale. Creating fragmented habitat results in:
a loss of habitat connectivity for species migration and dispersal,
increased predation and harassment of wildlife by household pets,
increased interactions with humans,
increased opportunities for invasive species to penetrate important habitat areas
Preston Pinkston
September 13, 2022
Page 2 of 2
The best way to deal with impacts of fragmentation is to minimize and avoid them through
careful planning. Maintaining large blocks of undeveloped habitat and protecting natural
corridors such as forested riparian zones and ridgetops minimizes the effects of habitat
loss. Allowing for large blocks of undeveloped land, and corridors between them, provides
space for migrating animals to move across the environment with minimal interactions with
humans and infrastructure. It also protects aquatic habitats by maintaining adequate forested
buffers to provide shade and cooler water, filtering runoff before it reaches the stream, protecting
aquifer recharge areas, and providing a self-sustaining source of large wood that is critical for
habitat forming processes and the benefit of fish.
In closing, WDFW encourages the City of Chehalis to work toward compact development, fully
realizing a need for expansion by developing the area already within the existing UGA. When
expansion is necessary, we recommend focusing on adding space closer to the city
limits. Developing within the existing boundaries of the current UGA will prevent irreparable
impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, and to the natural resources that support a healthy
community and their relationship to the outdoors in the Chehalis basin.
Again, we thank you for the opportunity to provide input. Please contact me should you have any
questions or need additional information.
Sincerely,
Karen Adams, Habitat Biologist
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Habitat Program
Karen.adams@wdfw.wa.gov, 360-906-6731
cc: Madeline Nolan, WDFW Region 5 Assistant Habitat Program Manager
SEPA Comments Memo
File Number: SEP22-0031
Date Printed: September 14, 2022
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
Portions of this property are located in the mapped floodplain any proposed development in
these areas will require floodplain development permits through Lewis County
PUBLIC WORKS
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
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