The Watershed Company has been selected as consultant for the pending update of San Juan County’s critical areas ordinance and shoreline master program.

The Watershed Company, a Seattle-based environmental consultant, outpaced two other firms vying to undertake those two long-range planning projects, and was chosen by the County Council Aug. 24 in a unanimous decision. A contract is expected to be back before the sometime in the next two weeks pending negotiations between the firm and the county’s administrative team.

According to Council Chairman Richard Fralick, a member of the consultant selection committee, the Watershed Co. narrowly edged out ESA/Adlofson in earning the committee’s endorsement, in large part because the public participation portion of its proposal proved a better fit for the county. Though not an overriding factor, he added that the fact that its proposal proved a little less costly doesn’t hurt.

“Either would be capable of doing the job,” he said of the two firms. “Money was not a determining factor, but it’s helpful that they were less expensive.”

Planning Coordinator Shireene Hale said the Watershed team will assist in the CAO update by helping to develop and review a catalogue of locally-based best available science, as well as with the CAO’s public participation plan, approved by the council in early June. The county also hired wetland specialist Dr. Paul Adamus of Oregon State University to oversee the creation of a body of best available science for local wetlands.

The budget for consultant work on the CAO is $50,000-$90,000, according to the county’s request for proposals, however, Administrator Pete Rose said that the CAO update could cost the county in “the neighborhood” of $250,000 by the time the process is complete. Approval of the CAO update is expected by July of next year.

The update of the county shoreline master program is expected to be complete by December 2010. Though the state Department of Ecology previously allocated $450,000 to help fund that update, Fralick cautioned that the fiscal woes of the state, which, according to state Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan Island, will face a $3 billion shortfall in the next two-year budget, could well put that allocation in jeopardy.

In addition to Fralick, the selection committee included Councilwoman Lovel Pratt, San Juan South, Hale and senior planners Janice Biletnikoff Blitenkoff and Colin Maycock.

Consultant selection criteria:

— understanding and experience of CAO and SMP updates and state law.

— Experience in working together.

— Proposed approach to the two projects.

— Local experience and knowledge.

— GIS expertise.

— Experience working on controversial issues.

— References.

— Prior work and performance for other jurisdictions.