Pierce County Planning and Land Services has scheduled four meetings around the county – including one between Buckley and Bonney Lake – to gather public input on proposed adjustments to some of the land use designations in rural areas.

The adjustment is part of the update to Pierce County’s Comprehensive Plan, which follows state requirements to plan for housing, transportation and other community needs while managing urban growth and reducing sprawl.

Under the state’s Growth Management Act, the county is required to establish criteria for designating lands that have the potential of being used for agricultural purposes in the long term. The proposed criteria include land on which the soil is classified as prime agricultural soils and the property is larger than five acres.

There are approximately 3,000 property owners whose lands meet the proposed criteria for Agricultural Resource Lands and which are currently under a Rural land classification. About 300 additional properties that are currently designated as Agricultural Resource Lands do not meet the proposed criteria and would be changed to a Rural land designation. The county mailed notices to owners of properties with proposed adjustments.

The local, two-hour meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at Foothills Elementary School, 10621 234th Ave E. The location is just a bit south of state Route 410.

Other meetings will take place Feb. 9 at the Key Peninsula Civic Center VFW Room; Feb. 10 at the Eatonville Community Center; and Feb 12 at Kapowsin Elementary School in Graham.

More information can be found at www.piercecountywa.org/realize2030.

Further review of all proposed updates to the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan will take place throughout the spring of 2015.