County should adopt critical areas law without amendments

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment to protect wetlands in Snohomish County. Wednesday, May 14 at 10:30 a.m., the Snohomish County Council will vote on amendments to Ordinance 24-097 that will weaken requirements for how development will occur around wetlands for the next 10 years.

Democrat Council member Jared Mead is teaming up with the other two Republicans on the Council to weaken even the meager protections that were negotiated by the Executive’s Office with the Department of Ecology. Mead is a puppet with high doner developer buddies pulling his strings. He is most certainly not qualified to put forward any amendments to Ord. 24-097. At the Jan. 15 hearing on this ordinance, Mead asked the asinine question: “If a tree fell over 15 years ago, uprooted, creates a puddle, the puddle grows to a size and that becomes a wetland?”

Mead simply does not understand the importance of wetlands or how they are categorized. Mead is obviously acting to benefit developers profit margins and not in the best interest of the county’s citizens and environment. Wetland experts using science should determine wetland protections, not profit driven developers or ignorant politicians.

The developer claim that without Mead’s amendments, the county will not meet its requirements under the Growth Management Act (GMA) is nonsense. Losing a lot or two to protect wetlands and their buffer makes no difference for the county to meet its GMA requirements. Or perhaps developers purchased cheap ground speculating that it could be developed, with Mead’s assistance.

Voters in Wisconsin recently showed Elon Musk that his millions could not buy a Supreme Court justice. With your voices, we need to prove to Mead that his developer’s money will not re-elect him either.

Please contact your elected County Council member, but especially Mead, and tell them to approve Ordinance 24-097, without amendments, and to keep the developer’s hands off our wetlands.

William Lider

Lynnwood