• What are critical areas?
• How do I know if I have critical areas on my property?
• How do I get information on FEMA floodplain and flood elevation certificates?
• What are geologically hazardous areas? 
• Can I build on property that has critical areas?
• What types of development must comply with the County Critical Areas regulations?
• Where can I find a qualified professional to complete a site assessment and mitigation plan?

• Will it take longer to get my permit if I have a Critical Area on my property?

• If I am not planning to build within a critical area or a buffer area, do I need to have a mitigation plan prepared?

Many critical areas throughout Mason County have been mapped but most remain unidentified. In order to identify unmapped critical areas, the County requires a Critical Areas Review to be completed with new development proposals on a site by site basis.  Critical Area Reviews may trigger the need for a Mason County Environmental Permit.  Contact your Area Planner to schedule a review, visit us for walk-in service Monday – Friday 8am to 4:30pm:

615 W Alder St
Shelton, WA 98584

Or call (360) 427-9670 ext. 352

FEMA provides an easy to use website to help answer your questions about the FEMA floodplain information

You can find the Flood Elevation Certificate information

Yes, provided the proposed development can avoid critical areas and associated buffers or if the impacts to the critical areas can be adequately mitigated.  In some cases, a Mason County Environmental Permit may be required.

The County’s Critical Areas regulations may apply if the project area or portion of the property to be developed is in or near a critical area. Planning Services will conduct a Critical Area Review and may require a Mason County Environmental Permit when critical areas are identified within about 300 feet of the proposed development. The 300-foot measurement is not necessarily a development restriction; it is there to set a uniform standard for review purposes. 

As part of the Critical Area Review, staff will complete a map review and site visit to determine if the project area includes indications of critical areas. If critical areas indicators are present, the applicant may choose to revise the site plan so the project area excludes critical areas and associated buffers. If the applicant wants to proceed with the original development, a Mason County Environmental Permit must be prepared.

If the development is not specifically allowed without standard review under Mason County Code Section 8.52.200, the proposed development must be reviewed for compliance with the Critical Areas Ordinance.  For example, single family building permits (including additions that expand the foot print, detached buildings, etc.), fill and grade permits, land divisions, special use permits, shoreline permits, commercial developments, conversion forest practices and conversion option harvest plans, and septic permits are regulated under the Critical Areas Ordinance. Even if there is no permit requirement, any proposed alteration of a critical area is subject to review (See Mason County Code Section 8.52.040)

Activities like site investigation surveys and subsurface explorations do not require Critical Areas Review. In these cases; however, the activities must minimize the critical area impacts and the disturbed areas must be immediately restored.

Any adverse impact to a critical area or associated buffer area resulting from the activity shall be restored to the maximum extent possible.

The County has put together a list of companies that have sent the County a statement of qualifications. This list is for informational purposes only and is not a list of County approved critical area professionals. Another good place to start looking would be the yellow pages of the phone book under headings such as engineering, surveying, environmental, and geologists. Each type of critical area assessment requires certain professional qualifications. These qualifications are specified in Mason County Code Section 8.52.030, Definitions.

• Geotechnical Consultants List
• Geological Assessment Submittal Checklist
• Geotechnical Report Submittal Checklist
• Habitat Biologist Consultants list

If standard review of a proposed activity is required, a site visit will take place. County staff will evaluate the area within 300 feet of the proposed development activity for the presence of critical areas indicators. If the site visit confirms critical area indicators are present, the applicant will be notified that a critical areas site assessment is required to proceed with critical areas review of the proposal. However, other options may be available under proceeding with the permit application.

Critical Areas Review by Mason County Planning Services is one of several steps that need to be completed prior to applying for a building permit.  Since the Critical Area Review will be done before submittal, it shouldn’t change the timeline of the building permit review unless the building permit proposal is not consistent with the Critical Areas approval.  In this case, a Mason County Environmental Permit would be required.

No. Mason County does not require a mitigation plan if the project area is located outside critical areas and associated buffer areas. This means once the critical areas have been identified and classified, and their standard buffers established, no additional mitigation is required. The exception to this would be if part of the development activity had unique circumstances (e.g. highly sensitive habitat) associated with the critical area that required additional protection. If this were the case, it would be up to the County not the landowner to demonstrate why additional mitigation is required.  However, even if no mitigation is required, Mason County retains the site plan.