14.05.020 Purpose.
A. It is the purpose of the Wiyot Tribe’s wetland zone protection regulations to safeguard Tribal residents, protect property, and prevent damage to the wetland environment on Wiyot Tribe Reservation. This chapter will also promote the public welfare by guiding and regulating the activities that occur within the designated wetland zone of Wiyot Tribe
B. Activities such as agricultural and construction practices can threaten wetlands through eroded soil, bacterial and nutrient contamination, increased turbidity, etc., which endanger water resources by reducing water quality. The benefits that wetland environments offer the Wiyot Tribe Reservation include, but are not limited to:
1. Flood and storm control through hydrologic absorption and storage capacity;
2. Wildlife habitat by providing breeding, nesting, and feeding grounds for many wildlife species including, but not limited to, migratory waterfowl, rare and threatened/endangered species of animals or plants;
3. Pollution treatment by acting as a filter for biological and chemical contaminants;
4. Erosion control by acting as a settling basin for sediments such as silts and clays;
5. Recycle nutrients within the food cycle. [Ord. 11-02 Art. II, approved 11/1/02.]