The Resource Management Section is responsible for ensuring that land use development within unincorporated Pierce County complies with State and local environmental rules and regulations, including but not limited to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and the Pierce County Environmental Regulations, Title 18D. The Resource Management Section is also responsible for administration of Title 18E, Development Regulations - Critical Areas (Wetlands and Fish and Wildlife Habitat Areas) and Title 18H, Development Regulations - Forest Practices and Tree Conservation.

• review, analyze, and process environmental checklists for projects requiring environmental review in accordance with SEPA and Title 18D
• coordinate environmental review by various Federal, State, and local government agencies and Indian Tribes
• consult with members of the general public
• evaluate the environmental impacts of a proposed project and identify methods to reduce the impacts
• issue threshold determinations for projects requiring environmental review; if significant adverse environmental impacts are probable, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is required and a determination of significance (DS) is issued; if there will be no significant impacts or the impacts can be mitigated, a determination of nonsignificance (DNS) is issued
  Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about SEPA

• conduct site inspections to identify and verify the presence of wetlands, determine wetland categories and appropriate buffer widths, delineate wetlands, and/or verify delineations completed by private consultants
• review, analyze, and approve wetland analysis reports
• prepare non-compensatory wetland mitigation plans
• review non-compensatory and compensatory wetland mitigation plans prepared by private consultants
• monitor implementation and success or failure of mitigation plans
• analyze the impacts proposed developments may have on wetland acreage, function, and value and develop mitigation measures to eliminate and/or minimize impacts
• issue wetland approvals for proposed developments which have been found to meet the requirements of Title 18E
• coordinate wetland review with other Pierce County departments, with various Federal, State, and local government agencies, and Indian Tribes
• provide project specific and / or general information regarding Title 18E to the public
• complete enforcement actions as necessary to gain compliance with Title 18E
  
  Check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) page for wetland information.

• review and manage land use activities to protect identified critical fish and wildlife species and habitats and assure compliance with Title 18E
• coordinate fish and wildlife habitat areas review with other Pierce County departments, with various Federal, State, and local government agencies, and Indian Tribes
• Issue approvals for proposed development which has been found to meet the requirements of Title 18E

• review, analyze, and process environmental checklists for Class IV-General Forest Practices Permit Applications
• process applications for Class IV-General Forest Practices Permits
• process applications for Conversion Option Harvest Plans (COHP)
• impose Development Moratoria on parcels on which unpermitted forest practices have occurred
• process applications for Removal of Development Moratoria
• process applications for Single Family Dwelling Exceptions
• consult with the general public
• review and, if necessary, comment on forest practice notifications/applications issued by the Washington Department of Natural Resources

Additional information on forest practices may be obtained by accessing the DNR website.