§ 24.30.260. Wetlands—Recreation facilities, trails, and trail-related facilities—Administrative approval.

A.

Passive Recreation. The approval authority may allow trails and trail-related, passive recreation facilities, such as, but not limited to, identification and interpretive signs, nature/wildlife viewing platforms, and fishing access within wetland buffers if it is determined that there is no alternative outside the buffer. Trail alignment, construction, and maintenance shall adhere to all of the following requirements:

1.

Location.

a.

Trails and related facilities shall, to the extent feasible, be placed on existing levees, road grades, abandoned railroad lines, utility corridors, or other previously disturbed areas.

b.

When trails cannot be located outside of the wetland buffers or on existing disturbed corridors within the buffers, they shall be located as far from the wetland as possible, except for access points for wildlife viewing, fishing, and recreational use authorized pursuant to this chapter.

c.

Trails and related facilities (e.g., viewing platforms and benches) allowed in wetland buffers shall be located, aligned and constructed to minimize disturbance to wetland functions, avoid the most sensitive and productive wildlife habitat (e.g., documented breeding, nesting, and rearing areas), and minimize removal of trees, shrubs, snags, and other significant wildlife habitat.

d.

Parking areas and other facilities associated with these trails, not specifically provided for in this section and Table 24.30-4, shall be located outside of the wetland and/or wetland buffer.

2.

Stair Tower, Stairway, and Mechanical Lift. See Chapter 24.25 TCC, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Areas; and Chapter 24.15 TCC, Geologic Hazards and the Shoreline Master Program, as amended.

3.

Protect Water Quality. Trails and related facilities shall incorporate measures (e.g., check dams or devices to induce sheet flow of stormwater runoff) as needed to assure that runoff from such trails/facilities does not create channels in the buffer or directly discharge to wetlands or streams.

4.

Trail Width. The width of trails extending through a wetland buffer shall be minimized consistent with any applicable state or federal standards. Access paths extending through the wetland buffer to the water's edge shall be no more than three feet in width unless they are designated for public access and designed to accommodate handicapped persons. In that case, the trail and associated clearing shall be the minimum width that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Clearing shall be done with hand tools unless the approval authority determines that the scale of the project necessitates mechanized equipment and its use will not harm the wetland or buffer beyond the trail corridor.

5.

Impervious Surfaces. Trails shall not be paved unless they are specifically designed to be accessible by handicapped persons. Trails shall be designed for nonmotorized use, with the exception of motorized wheelchairs. The approval authority may allow regional trails on former road or railroad beds to be paved when they extend through wetland buffers. Where impervious surfaces are used, they shall be minimized consistent with applicable standards (e.g., ADA and Washington Department of Transportation standards.)

Raised boardwalks shall be used in wet areas provided that they are not treated with hazardous materials that would be harmful to wetland water quality, dependent wildlife, or sensitive wetland plants documented by the DNR Natural Heritage Program. Viewing platforms shall not be made of continuous impervious materials or treated with toxic materials that could leach into the wetland or associated buffer. The "footprint" of viewing platforms shall be as small as possible in order to minimize impacts (e.g., through the use of pin piles).

Fill shall not be allowed in wetlands.

6.

Salvage Plants. Native vegetation disturbed by trail construction shall be made available for salvage.

7.

Parking areas and other facilities associated with trails, not specifically provided for in this section or Table 24.30-4, shall be located outside of the wetland and/or wetland buffer.

B.

Active Recreation. If there is no alternative location, public swimming and fishing access may be located within wetland buffers to the minimum extent necessary to accommodate the use, as determined by the approval authority. Non water-dependent active recreational uses such as playgrounds, athletic fields, campgrounds, picnic areas and related restrooms and parking areas shall be located outside of wetlands and wetland buffers.

C.

Golf Courses. Wetlands and associated buffers within proposed new golf courses shall be protected and remain in natural condition, except as provided for by TCC 24.30.090(C). They shall not be designated as play areas of the golf course, but may be included in the course design provided all other applicable provisions of this chapter are met.

(Ord. No. 14773, § 3(Att. B), 7-24-2012)