Ecology Department seeks public review on Spokane County’s shoreline regs

How the shorelines along the Spokane River and Spokane County’s lakes and streams will be protected and regulated is mapped out in a revised document that needs public review. The Washington Department of Ecology is asking the public to review Spokane County’s proposed update of its shoreline master program (SMP). The review period will run through Oct. 2. A public workshop and hearing is planned for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Spokane Community College, Building 6, Sasquatch Room. The proposed shoreline regulations guide development, preservation and restoration in rivers, streams, lakes, and associated uplands and wetlands in Spokane County and the towns of Latah, Millwood, Rockford, and Waverly. Each of these towns and Spokane County have shorelines that are designated as “shorelines of statewide significance” in the state’s Shoreline Management Act. The law requires cities and counties with lakes 20 acres in size or larger, and streams and rivers flowing at 20 cubic feet per second or greater to develop and periodically update their locally tailored shoreline master programs. This is the first comprehensive update of the Spokane County Shoreline Master Program since it was first adopted in 1974. Spokane County held public hearings before the county commissioners adopted the SMP locally, after a lengthy planning process. However, one more public review period is required before Ecology adopts the SMP as part of the Statewide Shoreline Master Program. Changes to the locally submitted SMP may be necessary to bring it into compliance with the Shoreline Management Act. Ecology Director Jay Manning will notify the Board of County Commissioners of his approval of the updated SMP, along with any required changes. Master programs are the cornerstone of the state Shoreline Management Act approved by voters in 1972. The programs help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, restore damaged shorelines, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses and are designed to maintain and improve the public’s access to surface waters. Updated SMPs must lead to: * Improving water quality and habitat protection through regulations that apply to all shorelines in Spokane County. * Protecting riparian and upland vegetation in shorelines. * Minimizing the proliferation of docks and piers. * Using bioengineering techniques to stabilize eroding shorelines. * Restoration work to coordinate voluntary measures to rehabilitate shorelines to improve their natural character and ecological function. Ecology adopted new SMP guidelines in 2003 establishing basic requirements for updating local shoreline development regulations. More than 70 cities and counties are currently updating their programs. Most haven’t done so comprehensively in more than 30 years. From 1978 through 2008, the state population has grown from about 3.8 million to an estimated 6.6 million people.