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State of Washington <br />DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE <br />South Central Region • Region 3 • 1701 South 241" Avenue, Yakima, WA 98902-5720 <br />Telephone: (509) 575-2740 • Fax: (509) 575-2474 <br />February 24, 2026 <br />Jeremy Johnston <br />Long Range Planner <br />Kittitas County Community Development Services <br />411 N. Ruby Street, Suite 1 <br />Ellensburg, WA 98926 <br />SUBJECT: WDFW comments on Kittitas County draft 2026 Comprehensive Plan <br />Dear Mr. Johnston, <br />Thank you for the opportunity to review the Kittitas County draft Comprehensive Plan. The <br />Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has reviewed the plan, and we appreciate <br />that many positive aspects have been included in the plan, including elements and mentions to <br />include wildlife connectivity and the recognition that having connected fish and wildlife habitats <br />leads to a more resilient landscape. We provide these comments to improve the plan in <br />accordance with WDFW's mission to preserve, protect and perpetuate the state's fish, wildlife <br />and ecosystems. <br />Section 2. Land Use. <br />2.3.8. LU-G9. Master Planned Resort (MPR). Open space in the MPR should prioritize <br />protection of critical areas. Past MPRs have been permitted in wildlife connectivity corridors and <br />next to streams and wetlands. Please include a policy that recreation will be minimized in the <br />critical areas and limited to low -impact recreation such as trails. <br />Table 2-1 indicates that about 217,000 acres of land are within the Forest and Range zoning <br />designation (-15% of land in the county). The base density is ldu/20ac. Based on the spatial <br />distribution of the zone, this is where some level of development could occur that could fragment <br />high quality habitat areas and habitat connectivity. Recommend either modifying RR-P 10 to <br />include wildlife connectivity or add a separate policy that discourages rezones that increase rural <br />densities in these areas of conflict with wildlife connectivity. <br />Table 2-2, on page 25, about half of the 2046 population growth (7,280 people) is allocated to <br />Unincorporated Kittitas County. This will increase low -density sprawl within the county. This <br />also contradicts LU-P3: Reduce the conversion of land for development and concentrate future <br />growth in UGAs. <br />Table 4-1 (within the Housing section) shows that the population growth in unincorporated <br />Kittitas County grew by 4,798 people from 2000 to 2020. The population of unincorporated <br />Kittitas has surpassed the population(s) of all the incorporated areas within the county. Many <br />