It happens but once every 7 or 8 years
Tonight is a big night for Spokane County’s rivers, lakes and streams, and the next few weeks will be absolutely crucial in our fight to help protect the Spokane River, the Little Spokane River, Hangman Creek, Newman Lake and 73 other lakes and streams in Spokane County.
The Spokane County Shoreline Master Plan Hearing, a public workshop and hearing on the Shoreline Master Plan update, is being held at 7 p.m., TONIGHT, Sept. 15 at Spokane Community College, Building 6, Sasquatch Room, 1810 N. Green St.
This update happens only every 7 or 8 years, meaning it’s absolutely imperative that
you take this opportunity to weigh in. In addition to the public hearing, the Washington State Department of Ecology is holding a public comment period in regard to the
Shoreline Master Programs
in which, YOU, can voice your opinion on how future development is
handled, where habitat improvements will be made, and whether it is a
water-dependent use, public access, or habitat protection you value.
Written comments will be accepted through October 2, 2009
at dpin461@ecy.wa.gov or Ecology’s Spokane office: 4601 N. Monroe St.,
Spokane, WA 99205. Comments should be addressed to the attention of
“Spokane County SMP.”
The Shoreline Master Programs are the vehicles for which shorelines are protected under the Shoreline Management Act defined as, “the comprehensive use plan for a described area, and the use regulations together with maps, diagrams, charts, or other descriptive material and text, a statement of desired goals, and standards.”
The Shoreline Master Programs are written to help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses and reduce interference with the public’s access to water.
Follow past the jump to see what you should ask Ecology to do:
· Rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands should all
enjoy the same strong protections. Clarify that the shoreline master program
maintains the 250 foot buffers on shoreline rivers adopted in the
Spokane
County
critical areas regulations. This
is necessary to protect the water quality of rivers, streams, wetlands, and
lakes.
· Protect all wildlife habitats within shoreline jurisdiction including insects
and plants. This is necessary to protect the fish and wildlife resources that
we all value and to maintain the ecological functions of our watershed. The
Shoreline Management Act and the regulations that implement it require protection
of wildlife and maintenance ecological functions.
· Improve the public access provisions to protect the public’s existing access
to rivers, streams and lakes and to provide increased public access for our
growing population. This will improve opportunities to boat, swim, and fish.
The Shoreline Management Act and the regulations that implement it require that
public access be provided by large developments,
Spokane
County
has ignored this requirement.
· Adopt stronger measures to protect people and property by directing
development away from all of the channel migration zones. These are areas where
rivers and streams periodically move. This movement will damage any buildings
within this area and put the resident’s lives at risk.
**The Board of
County
Commissioners
weakened the Planning Commission’s
recommendations that provided a higher level of protection for some of
Spokane
County
’s rivers and lakes. Ask the
Department of Ecology change the following designations to restore protections
for our rivers and lakes.
· Re-designate four miles of
Lake
Spokane
from Rural
Conservancy to Natural. A Natural shorelines designation provides the highest
level of protection for high quality shorelines and better protects water
quality than the Rural Conservancy designation.
· Re-designate 1,000 lineal feet on
Newman
Lake
from Conservancy to
Natural as the Planning Commission recommended. This will improve protection
for the lake’s water quality.
· Re-designate the
McKenzie
Bay
area of
Liberty
Lake
from Shoreline Residential to Natural to better protect these largely intact
shorelines.
· Restore the “High Quality Area designation” on the west shore of the
Spokane
River
across from the mouth of the
Little Spokane as the Planning Commission recommended. There is a high quality
area on the east shore and similar protection should be provided on the west
shore.
· Keep the existing ten foot minimum separation between a septic tank
drainfields and the water table to protect water quality and drinking water
sources.
* This story was originally published as a post from the marketing blog "Down To Earth." Read all stories from this blog