Jefferson County is in the process of completing its updates to the Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) as part of its state-mandated periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan and implementing regulations under the state Growth Management Act. Best available science documents, meeting agendas and other background material is available by visiting our CAO background information files. Jefferson County has been in the process of updating its CAO, which is located in Chapter 18.22 of the Unified Development Code, since 2014 and draft revisions began in 2016. With the passage of Resolution 17-19, the CAO updates were completed with the help of a regulatory reform task force. See below for information on that task force.

Visit the CAO Update web page often to keep track of briefings and public hearings at the Planning Commission and by the Board of County Commissioners. The updated CAO final adoption is scheduled to occur at the end of February 2020.