Programmatic Habitat Assessment
King County, Washington
In July 2012, the Federal Emergency Management Agency verified King County's compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Biological Opinion, concluding that the county’s ordinances, regulations, and written policies meet or exceed its performance standards and may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect, species and their habitat listed under the Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Act. (See NFIP and the Endangered Species Act, external link.)
King County demonstrated its compliance through a Programmatic Habitat Assessment (below) that analyzed the projected impact of future development within mapped floodplains based on the zoning and land use regulations found in the County’s critical areas, shoreline master program, floodplain management, stormwater management, and clearing and grading codes and adopted manuals.
King County has committed to updating the land use analysis no more than every five years, but at least every ten years. Updates will also be made in association with major area-wide zoning changes within the floodplain, or significant changes to land use regulations that reduce habitat protection measures.
King County National Flood Insurance Program Biological Opinion Compliance Submittal and Programmatic Habitat Assessment
Documents are provided in Adobe Acrobat format with file size, in sections to enable faster downloads. For help using Acrobat, please visit our Acrobat help page.
- King County submittal letter to FEMA, June 19, 2012 (PDF, 128KB)
- FEMA verification letter, July 9, 2012 (PDF, 60KB)
- Executive Summary and Chapters 1-8 (PDF, 1.95MB)
- Appendix A - King County’s Justification for Less Than NOAA-Recommended BiOp Buffers (PDF, 238KB)
- Appendix B - Agricultural Drainage Assistance Program Materials (PDF, 211KB)
- Appendix C - Non-regulatory Programs and Projects (PDF, 2.7MB)
- Appendix D - River Basin and Fish Use Maps (PDF, 5.2MB)
- Appendix D - Chapter 4 Maps (PDF, 11.5MB)
- Appendix D - Chapter 5 Maps (PDF, 1.5MB)
For more information about the Programmatic Habitat Assessment, please contact Katy Vanderpool, Project/Program Manager, River and Floodplain Management Section.