Goal 5 Overview
The County’s Goal 5 program includes a Significant Natural Resource (SNR) inventory, land use policies and regulations intended to protect our significant natural resources such as streams, land along waterways and wildlife habitat. Our program includes work we completed in the 1980s and additionally in the mid 2000s under Metro. Our 1980s SNR inventory identifies locally significant fish and wildlife habitats in unincorporated Washington County. See our urban Community Plan and Rural/Natural Resource Plan maps.
The SNR land use regulations are in our Community Development Code (CDC) Section 422, Significant Natural Resources. They describe the process and limitations on proposed developments in SNR areas.
Tualatin Basin Program
We worked with local cities and special districts like Clean Water Services (CWS), Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) and Metro in the early 2000s to develop a habitat protection program for the Tualatin Basin. The Tualatin Basin Program includes limitations on new development and other strategies for protecting natural resources, especially water-related resources, in the County. These other strategies include County partnerships for restoration, mitigation and enhancement activities: Culvert replacements, riparian corridor restoration, tree plantings and funding programs to buy land for preservation.
Metro Nature in Neighborhood Bond measures
Voters passed these measures in 2006 and 2019. They support land purchases for open space, trails and water-quality protection in Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties. The bonds generated $700 million to purchase land to restore wildlife habitats and to improve and complete community parks and trails.
Our other Goal 5 elements
Our Goal 5 program also includes:
- Educational programs promoting habitat-friendly development
- Flexible development design standards
- Technical assistance program
- Other grants and incentives for identified natural resource areas