County planning panel digs into wetlands code

Whitman County’s planning commission is trying to develop a way to reduce the amount of necessary paperwork required to build near wetlands.

Tighter regulations laid out by the state Department of Ecology are expected to complicate the process of permitting such developments. The planning commission is trying to massage those requirements to keep building and permitting costs low.

“It’s a negotiation between us and ecology,” said County Planner Alan Thomson. “Ecology is asking us to be much more cautious about how we document what led to a wetland decision.”

Developments planned near wetlands...