Channel Migration Zone in Pierce County
January of 2008, certain citizens were mailed notices that Pierce County was going to re-classify the zoning of their property. This proposal, if enacted, would change the zoning of their property to be classified as being in a Severe Channel Migration Zone. This would take away many of the property owner’s rights they currently had, and greatly devalue their property. The areas involved in this proposal include the Upper Nisqually River and portions of South Prairie Creek. The Upper Nisqually River area goes from Alder Lake to Mt. Rainier National Park, including parts of Ashford and Elbe. The South Prairie Creek area is upstream and east of Orting. General information including maps, contact information, etc. regarding the Channel Migration Zone (CMZ) can be found here.
Because of immediate outrage by property owners to this new proposal, Pierce County has decided to put this zoning change on hold. A twelve person citizen advisory committee was established to further evaluate the proposal and provide recommendations to Pierce County regarding channel migration zones. The Citizen Advisory Committee will be giving their recommendations to the county by the end of August, 2009. The Committee has been meeting monthly with more information available at the above listed website.
Paul Nerge with Crescent Realty is a part of a small group of people living in the Ashford area that has helped organize local meetings, gather relevant information, and submit written documents pertaining to the proposed CMZ. This small group is one of the reasons the county has put the CMZ proposal on hold.
Tags: Alder Lake, Ashford, CMZ, Crescent Realty, Elbe, Paul Nerge, Pierce County Channel Migration Zone, South Prairie Creek, Upper Nisqually River Area
