Futurewise, Stevens County negotiate deal to protect lynx, other habitat

Protecting Our Lynx

December, 2011 – The Growth Management Hearings Board agreed with Futurewise and Stevens County that the County’s amended regulations now protect fish and wildlife habitats as required by the Growth Management Act. 

Futurewise had won appeals on this issue twice before the Growth Management Hearings Board, twice before Stevens County Superior Court, and before the Court of Appeals.   Early this year the County and Futurewise began negotiating to resolve the case.  Stevens County had been refusing to adopt common sense protections for the lynx and other habitats shown as polygons on Washington State Fish and Wildlife GIS databases for five years.  The results of the negotiations means improved regulations will now protect all fish and wildlife habitats, regardless of how they are shown by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and now apply to all activities can harm fish and wildlife habitats, not just those activities that require a county permit.