Kitsap County Adopts 'Year of the Rural' Changes to Comprehensive Plan

On January 1, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 643-2025, which updates the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, map, and Title 17 (Zoning).

Known as the Year of the Rural, these changes show the County’s strong commitment to supporting agriculture, working lands,

and rural communities. The ordinance confirms that agriculture remains a core rural land use, strengthens planning policies that support farming, and ensures existing agricultural operations remain legal and protected.

Key elements of the ordinance include:

• Updating rules to help farms stay profitable and keep agriculture thriving.

• Recognizing the importance of working lands and committing to ongoing evaluation through a rural lands analysis.

• Adding a new chapter to the Comprehensive Plan—Chapter 2: Rural and Resource Lands—to provide clear guidance for rural and agricultural decisions.

Specifically, the ordinance:

• Identifies agriculture as a primary and desired rural land use under the Growth Management Act.

• Recognizes farming as economically viable and essential to Kitsap’s rural character.

• Affirms that farmland should be kept safe from developments that don’t fit in with rural areas.

The ordinance also emphasizes preserving working lands by:

• Committing the County to protect land capable of agricultural production.

• Avoiding policies that unintentionally convert rural areas into residential-only use.

• The ordinance aligns with Right-to-Farm principles, recognizing that noise, odor, dust, and animal activity are normal parts of farming.

The ordinance does not:

• Add any new rules that limit farming—existing farms and farm activities can continue as usual. • Create new enforcement or animal-keeping regulations.

The ordinance also supports the creation of an Agriculture Advisory Council, which will be established in 2026. Having this council will mean that the ag community can take on issues in a deliberate and thoughtful manner and provide meaningful advice to the commissioners. That’s a big win for agriculture in Kitsap! The County will continue to evaluate rural lands through studies and public processes, and any future changes affecting agriculture will require separate action, public notice, and formal adoption.

Please contact Heather Cleveland, Kitsap County’s Long Range Planner, with any questions at HCleveland@kitsap.gov.