Spokane County, WA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Nest-site trigger radius
- 1/4 mile of a den or nest site
- Governing chapter
- SCC Chapter 11.20, Critical Areas
- Mitigation tool
- Habitat management plan (11.20.060.D)
- State overlay
- Bald Eagle Protection Rules, RCW 77.12.655
- Species named
- Bald eagle, golden eagle, herons
Summary
Development within one-quarter mile of a documented den or nest site of a non-game priority bird species in unincorporated Spokane County triggers habitat protection standards under the county's Critical Areas Ordinance, and any project likely to affect bald eagle habitat must also follow the state Bald Eagle Protection Rules.
For the purposes of this chapter, the county may restrict the regulated uses and activities shown in Table 11.20.030A or other use or activity determined by the Director subject to the purpose and intent of this section, which lie within a priority habitat by definition or within one-quarter mile of a point location (den or nest site) of a non-game priority species through the application of the performance standards contained in Section 11.20.060.C below. ... All development proposals shall follow the Bald Eagle Protection Rules (RCW 77.12.655 and WAC 232.12.292), as now or hereafter amended, when the proposal is likely to have a direct impact on the habitat of the bald eagle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
20, the Critical Areas Ordinance, regulates development near fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, a category that expressly includes priority bird species such as bald eagle, golden eagle, black-crowned night heron and great blue heron, along with their breeding areas and nest sites. C. Priority habitats identified for the county include cliff/bluff areas, old growth and mature forest, and aspen stands that support raptor and heron nesting. D requires the applicant to prepare a habitat management plan before development can proceed, prepared in consultation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
050 can also be widened on a case-by-case basis when a wetland hosts unusual nesting or resting sites such as heron rookeries or raptor nesting trees. 655 and WAC 232-12-292, whenever a proposal is likely to have a direct impact on bald eagle habitat, layering state protection on top of the county buffer and management-plan requirements.
Violations & Fines
Building and Planning reviews land-use and building permit applications against the priority habitat map and the quarter-mile nest-site radius before issuance; a proposal found likely to cause a significant adverse impact cannot proceed without an approved habitat management plan meeting SCC 11.20.060.D. Unpermitted clearing, grading or construction within a designated habitat conservation area or riparian buffer is treated as a code violation subject to the county's standard critical areas enforcement and civil penalty provisions, and projects affecting bald eagle habitat without complying with the state Bald Eagle Protection Rules risk a stop-work order pending state and county review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can I build to a known eagle or heron nest in unincorporated Spokane County?
Does Spokane County have its own bald eagle rule?
What counts as a priority bird habitat in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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