Cowlitz County is required by RCW 36.70.320 to utilize a Comprehensive Plan to guide the orderly physical development of the County. Required elements of the Comprehensive Plan, as outlined in RCW 36.70.330, include a land use element and circulation element. These required elements may be augmented by other elements such as natural resources and community facilities.
The Cowlitz County Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on July 19, 2017, updating the previous November 1, 1976 version. The Plan is a product of a citizen-planning process including a Citizens' Task Force and the Cowlitz County Planning Commission.
The Comprehensive Plan Map implements the Goals and Policies of the Plan by identifying land use classifications.