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ORDINANCE Page 5 of 19 <br />“Compensatory mitigation” means the replacement restoration (re-establishment or <br />rehabilitation), enhancement establishment(, or creation) of an undevelopable critical area <br />equivalent in functions, values and size to those being altered or lost to development, <br />enhancement and/or in certain circumstances preservation of wetlands, streams, or critical <br />areas for the purposes of offsetting unavoidable adverse impacts that remain after all <br />appropriate and practicable avoidance and minimization has been achieved. <br />“Compensatory mitigation, in-kind” means the replacement of wetlands with substitute <br />wetlands whose characteristics closely approximate those destroyed or degraded by a regulated <br />activity. <br />“Compensatory mitigation, off-site” means the replacement of wetlands away from the lotsite <br />on which a regulated wetlandcritical area has been impacted. <br />“Compensatory mitigation, on-site” means the replacement of wetlands on or adjacent to the <br />lot site on which a wetland critical area has been impacted by a regulated activity. <br />“Compensatory mitigation, out-of-kind” means the replacement of wetlands with substitute <br />wetlands whose characteristics do not closely approximate those destroyed or degraded by a <br />regulated activity. <br />“Cowardin classification” means the classification system for wetlands developed in 1979 by the <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and updated in 2013 that classifies wetlands based on water flow, <br />substrate types, vegetation types, and dominant plant species. <br />“Creation” in the context of wetland mitigation means the manipulation of the physical, <br />chemical, or biological characteristics present to develop a wetland that did not previously exist <br />at an upland site. Creation results in a gain in wetland area and functions. A typical action is the <br />excavation of upland soils to elevations that will produce a wetland hydroperiod and hydric <br />soils, and support the growth of hydrophytic plant species. <br />“Credit-Debit Method” means a tool to provide applicants and regulators a way to determine <br />whether actions taken to mitigate an impact to wetlands will adequately replace the functions <br />and values lost. It is based on the Washington State Wetland Rating System. <br />“Critical area” means geologically hazardous areas, wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams, frequently <br />flooded (flood hazard) areas, and fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, and critical aquifer <br />recharge areas, as defined in Chapter 36.70A RCW and this chapter title. <br />“Critical area protective covenant” means a covenant granted for the protection of a critical <br />area and its buffer through the maintenance of the natural environment. The covenant prohibits <br />alteration of the area unless approved by the city consistent with this Title and must be duly <br />recorded on appropriate documents of title and filed with the Snohomish County auditor. <br />“Critical area tract” means a legally created, nonbuilding lot containing a critical area which is <br />subject to a critical area protective covenant and which shall be duly recorded on the <br />appropriate documents of title and filed with the Snohomish County auditor.