Sherwood works with Tualatin Basin Partners on Natural Resource Protection
The City of Sherwood, along with other Washington County Cities, the County and Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District developed program for fish and wildlife habitat protection in order to comply with Metro requirements. Metro adopted a regional natural resource protection program in September, 2005. Sherwood implemented changes to the development code and Comprehensive Plan in December 2006 to ensure greater protection and enhancement of our natural resources and comply with the Metro requirements.

Background
Ten Washington County Cities, including the City of Sherwood, along with the County, Clean Water Services (CWS) and Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District (THPRD) have been working together to develop a program for fish and wildlife habitat protection (Goal 5 update) since 2002. The Goal 5 update process has three main components in compliance with state law: 1.) inventory, 2.) ESEE analysis, and 3.) program development to protect the significant resources after considering the ESEE consequences.

Tualatin Basin Program Elements
The ultimate goal of the Basin effort is to improve the overall environmental health of the Tualatin River Basin. In order to do this, while also acknowledging the need to minimize potential Measure 37 claims, the NRCC approved a program that is built upon four primary components. Collectively, the components provide for significant improvements to the environmental health of the Basin:

1. Revenue for capital improvements using Surface Water Management fees; 2. Existing regulations to protect the health of riparian corridors using the CWS vegetated corridor standards under Title 3 (Metro Functional Plan); 3. Administration of Goal 5 programming through the continuation of the NRCC that includes monitoring changes to natural resource conditions and program adjustments if necessary to achieve program goals; and 4. Voluntary activities, including a key commitment that requires local Partners to make regulatory changes to facilitate habitat sensitive development.

It is the fourth element that is the primary focus of changes to the Development Code. The City is beginning a process to gather input and develop changes to the Development Code to implement the fourth element of the Basin Program. The Development Code changes will facilitate habitat sensitive development by removing barriers currently faced by developers that may discourage protection of the habitat. Examples include flexible setbacks in order to bring structures further away from a natural resource, allowing smaller lot sizes in order to protect open space and allowing pervious pavement as an option of parking lots instead of the standard asphalt.

If you would like more informatio, please contact Julia Hajduk at 503-625-4204 or hajdukj@ci.sherwood.or.us.

You can also obtain information from:
Metro Website www.metro-region.org.
Washington County www.co.washington.or.us/deptmts/lut/planning/tualatin_basin