In March 2004, King County Executive Ron Sims proposed a series of new ordinances that, if enacted, would become some of the most restrictive regulations on the use of private property in the United States. Loosely referred to as the Critical Areas Package (CAP), these proposals have already received nationwide attention and have become the subject of heated controversy between rural landowners on one hand and county government and environmentalists on the other.

The CAP arises out of Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA). Under the GMA, the state develops growth standards and local governments develop growth plans, called “comprehensive plans,” based on those standards. The GMA requires local governments to periodically update their comprehensive plans and critical area ordinances (or CAOs) to reflect the “best available science.” King County must complete its review of the best available science and make any necessary code changes by December 2004.

Read the full Policy Note here