Counties and cities planning under the Growth Management Act are required to complete periodic updates to their comprehensive plans and development regulations. This page provides guidance and resources to assist local planners in preparing their periodic updates for review by Commerce.
Periodic Update interactive map
Local jurisdictions can use the interactive map to review a tailored list of resources related to their next periodic update. The data contained in the interactive map is also available in the County GMA Periodic Update document (Excel).
Periodic Update workshops
Commerce routinely hosts workshops on specific elements of the periodic update process. These workshops provide valuable opportunities for local jurisdictions to understand and meet the requirements of the periodic update.
Upcoming Workshops
2026 Series – Partially Planning Jurisdictions
10 a.m. — Noon, Wednesday, June 4, 2025
- View/download the partially planning workshop flyer (PDF)
- Register for the partially planning workshop (Zoom)
2027 Periodic Update Kick-Off Workshop
10 a.m. — Noon, Thursday, June 12, 2025
Previous Workshops
2025 Legislative Session Wrap-up
- Legislative Session Wrap-Up workshop flyer (PDF)
- Legislative Session Wrap-up workshop video (Vimeo)
- Legislative Session Wrap-up workshop slides (PDF)
2026 Series – Tribal Participation in Planning
- Tribal Participation in Planning workshop flyer (PDF)
- Tribal Participation in Planning video recording (Vimeo)
- Tribal Participation in Planning workshop presentation (PDF)
2026 Series – Transportation Workshop
- Transportation workshop flyer (PDF)
- Transportation workshop presentation (PPT)
- Transportation workshop video recording (Vimeo)
2026 Series – Climate Workshop
- Climate workshop flyer (PDF)
- Climate Workshop presentation (PDF)
- Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Translated versions
- Farsi – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Khmer – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Korean – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Mandarin – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Pashto – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Spanish – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Vietnamese – Climate Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- Translated versions
- AICP CM: 9303636
2026 Series – Public Engagement and Environmental Justice
- Public Engagement and Environmental Justice flyer (PDF)
- Public Engagement and Environmental Justice presentation (PPT)
- Public Engagement and Environmental Justice video recording (Vimeo)
- AICP CM: 9307219
2026 Series – Capital Facilities
- Capital Facilities workshop flyer (PDF)
- Capital Facilities workshop presentation (PDF)
- Capital Facilities video recording (Vimeo)
- AICP CM: 9303674
2026 Series – Critical Areas (2 of 2)
- Critical Areas 2 workshop flyer (PDF)
- Critical Areas 2 workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- AICP CM: 9303672
2026 Series – Critical Areas (1 of 2)
- Workshop flyer (PDF)
- Critical Areas Workshop presentation (PDF)
- Critical Areas Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- AICP CM: (pending)
2026 Series – Housing Workshop
- Workshop flyer (PDF)
- Housing Workshop presentation (PDF)
- Housing Workshop video recording (Vimeo)
- AICP CM: 9303641
2026 Series – Kickoff event
2024 Legislative Wrap-up
Growth Managment Act and Comprehensive Plan Update
Past session videos from the 2024 workshop series hosted by Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) can be found on the PSRC website.
Resources
Status: Closed
The governor and the Legislature made a historic investment in Growth Management Act planning during the 2022 legislative session and have continued that into the 2023-2025 budget period. As a result, we expect to provide grant funding to all counties, and cities within those counties, in advance of their upcoming comprehensive plan and development regulation periodic updates, required under RCW 36.70A.130(5).
Grants are available to counties and cities based on fully planning or partially planning status under the GMA, as well as population:
Fully planning
- Counties with 100,000 population and over: $700,000
- Counties under 100,000 population: $350,000
- Cities with 100,000 population and over: $325,000
- Cities with 50,000 to 99,999 population: $175,000
- Cities with 3,000 to 49,999 population: $125,000
- Cities under 3,000 population: $100,000
Partially planning
- Counties with 10,000 population and over: $150,000
- Counties under 10,000 population: $100,000
- Cities (No population limits): $20,000
Starting July 1, 2023, counties and cities with a 2025 deadline are eligible to receive the first half of their grant, with the second half coming the following year. Commerce intends to provide these same grant amounts to all counties and cities throughout the update cycle, with due dates from 2024 through 2027, under RCW 36.70A.130(5)(a)-(d). Grants should be available for all jurisdictions starting two years before the statutory deadlines for review and revision, established under RCW 36.70A.130(5).
Grant requirements
Periodic Update Grant (PUG) award notifications and instructions have been distributed to counties and cities with 2025 and 2026 updates. Jurisdictions who need a contract amendment must have an updated Scope of Work and Budget Table finalized and approved by early April. The deadline for jurisdictions to sign contract amendments is April 18, 2025. Jurisdictions are eligible to request grant reimbursement for all periodic update grant work, defined in the grant agreements.
Application materials
Local agency representatives can select the following links based on their periodic update due date:
- Periodic Update Final Adoption Resolution example (PDF)
- Capital Facilities Plan: City of Wenatchee (PDF)
- Comprehensive Plan: City of Des Moines (PDF)
- Comprehensive Plan: Grays Harbor County (partially planning)
- Comprehensive Plan: City of West Richland (PDF)
- Critical Areas Ordinance: City of Pullman (partially planning) (PDF)
- Housing Action Plan: City of Leavenworth
- Work program: City of Tumwater (PDF)
- Scope of Work: San Juan County (PDF)
- Findings of Fact and Resolution: Spokane County (SpokaneCounty.org)
- Findings of Fact and Resolution: Pacific County (PDF)
Counties and cities must be up-to-date with the requirements of the GMA, including the periodic update requirements, to be eligible for grants and loans from certain state infrastructure programs.
Commerce maintains a list of local governments’ periodic update status and Growth Management Hearing Board orders to help applicants and funding programs implement this requirement.
See the GMA Periodic Update and GMHB Status Report (PDF).
The Status Report is advisory and is based on the most recent information available to Commerce on the date it is published. If you believe the information on the report is not accurate, please contact Mary Reinbold at Mary.Reinbold@commerce.wa.gov.