Yakima County, WA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

010(1)(b) states the purpose of the county's Agriculture (AG) zoning district is to preserve and maintain areas for the continued practice of agriculture by limiting the creation of small lots, permitting only new uses compatible with agricultural activities, protecting agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance, and separating especially sensitive land uses from customary and innovative farming practices. 205, Especially Sensitive Land Uses (ESLU), which covers dwellings, schools, day care facilities, churches and medical facilities sited near resource land. 205(2)(a), a new especially sensitive use must set back 60 feet from any adjoining lot with a commercial agricultural use in a rural zoning district, 150 feet from any Agriculture (AG) zoned lot, 200 feet from any Forest Watershed (FW) zoned lot, and 500 feet from land carrying the Comprehensive Plan's Mineral Resource overlay designation.

020(6). 205(4) backs the buffers with a disclosure requirement: where a proposed lot or use sits within 500 feet of agricultural, mineral or forest resource designated land, the applicant must record a declarative covenant, in a form the Reviewing Official prescribes, stating that the property is situated in a resource area and may be subject to noise, dust, smoke, odors, traffic and chemical application from commonly accepted farming, mining or forestry practices. 205(3) must also confirm the use will not interfere with accepted farm, forest or mining practices on nearby land, and that mitigation such as landscape buffers, special setbacks or site design using physical features has been considered.