SAVE THE DATE! February 17, 2010
UW HUB West Ballroom*, University of Washington, Seattle campus 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Hear the latest UW research on water-related topics from UW faculty and graduate students! Free and open to the public. No registration required. The complete program will be accessible at http://water.washington.edu/Outreach/Events/AnnualReview/annualreview.html
The UW HUB is located here:
http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/northcentral.html?HUB
The Water Center
University of Washington
Box 352100
Seattle, WA 98195-2100
tel. 206.543.6920
fax 206.543.3254
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Draft Ocean Literacy Report
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary's (OCNMS) recently held an Ocean Literacy workshop to help us gather ideas for how to address the topic of Ocean Literacy in our revised management plan. Staff has completed a first draft of the workshop report which is avalable at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov. Please submit any comments to me via e-mail by close of business on Tuesday, January 5, 2010.
The workshop report summarizes the workshop structure and attempts to formulate the workshop recommendations into a series of strategies and activities that could be included in the management plan itself. If you are interested in seeing the raw notes from the workshop post-it sheets, just let me know and I can send them to you.
We will work on incorporating your comments so that we can send the report to the OCNMS Advisory Council on January 8. The Advisory Council will review and discuss the report as a group at its next meeting on January 22, 2010 in Forks. All AC meetings are open to the public and we encourage anyone who is interested to attend (details about the meeting will be posted on-line in January at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/AboutUs/sac/sac_meetschedule.html)
Lauren Bennett
Management Plan Specialist
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
The workshop report summarizes the workshop structure and attempts to formulate the workshop recommendations into a series of strategies and activities that could be included in the management plan itself. If you are interested in seeing the raw notes from the workshop post-it sheets, just let me know and I can send them to you.
We will work on incorporating your comments so that we can send the report to the OCNMS Advisory Council on January 8. The Advisory Council will review and discuss the report as a group at its next meeting on January 22, 2010 in Forks. All AC meetings are open to the public and we encourage anyone who is interested to attend (details about the meeting will be posted on-line in January at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/AboutUs/sac/sac_meetschedule.html)
Lauren Bennett
Management Plan Specialist
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sewage pales in comparison to stormwater
Sewage pales in comparison to stormwater It's unnerving to consider what poured into Puget Sound last week during King County's worst sewage spill in decades: toilet tissue, bacteria, coffee grounds and untold amounts of human waste. But that pales when compared with the poisonous heavy metals, oil-based chemicals and other toxic insults funneled into the Sound legally every day. Seattle Times 12/20/2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
SMP: new documents online
Locally Approved SMP Online
The formal resolution, Locally Approved SMP, and other supporting documents from Monday’s Board action are posted online for viewing and download. Go to http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/Shoreline_LocallyApprovedSMP.htm
Press Items
In addition, take a look at the recent press coverage and related items:
1. Peninsula Daily News coverage of Monday’s Board action for local approval online at http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091208/news/312089986 .
2. Port Townsend/Jefferson County Leader news coverage of Monday’s Board action for local approval online at http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=25803&TM=64700.24 PLEASE NOTE: This article’s headline is misleading. The Board action Monday was for local approval, not final adoption. Next is the state Dept. of Ecology review and approval, including another round of public comment, prior to final adoption. The provisions of the Locally Approved SMP don’t take effect until final adoption, currently anticipated for no sooner than Spring 2010.
3. Press release from WA Dept. of Ecology re: new City of Kennewick SMP is pasted below
4. Shoreline planning issue from ‘across the pond’ online at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234178/King-Canute-grandmother-refuses-leave-home-perched-crumbling-clifftop.html . The photos are striking and a reminder of what no one wants to see happen in Jefferson County.
The formal resolution, Locally Approved SMP, and other supporting documents from Monday’s Board action are posted online for viewing and download. Go to http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/Shoreline_LocallyApprovedSMP.htm
Press Items
In addition, take a look at the recent press coverage and related items:
1. Peninsula Daily News coverage of Monday’s Board action for local approval online at http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091208/news/312089986 .
2. Port Townsend/Jefferson County Leader news coverage of Monday’s Board action for local approval online at http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=25803&TM=64700.24 PLEASE NOTE: This article’s headline is misleading. The Board action Monday was for local approval, not final adoption. Next is the state Dept. of Ecology review and approval, including another round of public comment, prior to final adoption. The provisions of the Locally Approved SMP don’t take effect until final adoption, currently anticipated for no sooner than Spring 2010.
3. Press release from WA Dept. of Ecology re: new City of Kennewick SMP is pasted below
4. Shoreline planning issue from ‘across the pond’ online at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234178/King-Canute-grandmother-refuses-leave-home-perched-crumbling-clifftop.html . The photos are striking and a reminder of what no one wants to see happen in Jefferson County.
OCNMS Advisory Council Recommends Strategies for New Management Plan
A lot has been happening in the world of Management Plan Review and we know that it can be a complicated process to follow, so here is an
update:
The OCNMS Advisory Council (AC) met for its regular, bi-monthly meeting on Friday, November 20. Council members reviewed and discussed the first sets of strategies and activities produced during our management plan review. Specifically, they discussed proposed strategies for the priority topics of:
Collaborative & Coordinated Management (OCNMS staff working group)
Sanctuary Operations (OCNMS staff working group)
Socioeconomic Values of Resources in the Sanctuary (AC workshop)
(All of these documents are posted on-line at
http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_currentstat.html)
The AC voted to forward each of these sets of strategies (with minor
changes) to the Sanctuary Superintendent, Carol Bernthal, with a recommendation that they be incorporated into the Draft Management Plan that staff will be writing in 2010. A final version of the documents (with the AC's edits incorporated) will be posted on the website soon.
It is important to note that the AC may elect to modify the strategies produced by the working groups and workshops. Following AC discussion and editing, the strategies and activities are considered final AC recommendations that are forwarded to the Sanctuary Superintendent.
The AC will review the strategies and activities produced by the rest of the working groups and workshops at its January 22, 2010 meeting (which will likely be in Forks - details TBD).
After the January meeting, OCNMS staff will compile all the AC's recommendations for the priority topics and forward them to the Olympic Coast Intergovernmental Policy Council for review and comment. This review is anticipated in February 2010.
Also at November's AC meeting, George Galasso presented a more detailed management plan review schedule for 2010. If you are interested in specific actions we will take to produce the Draft Management Plan, this is the document for you. You can review this new schedule on-line at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_process_schedule.pdf
Finally, here is a quick overview of the working group/workshop process.
To date, we have involved 110 outside experts and interested folks in working group and workshop processes. Given that we needed to conduct the working group/workshop phase in a few months' time with minimal funding, we are really grateful that so many folks have contributed their time and expertise. Everyone's dedication to helping our management plan review process be successful and effective has meant a great deal to OCNMS staff. It is rewarding to see how many people and organizations care about the health and future of the Sanctuary.
We expect to be posting several new documents on the management plan website over the next couple months. We will try our best to ensure that the "current status" report on the website stays current
(http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_currentstat.html) so that everyone can follow our progress. Please check back regularly!
update:
The OCNMS Advisory Council (AC) met for its regular, bi-monthly meeting on Friday, November 20. Council members reviewed and discussed the first sets of strategies and activities produced during our management plan review. Specifically, they discussed proposed strategies for the priority topics of:
Collaborative & Coordinated Management (OCNMS staff working group)
Sanctuary Operations (OCNMS staff working group)
Socioeconomic Values of Resources in the Sanctuary (AC workshop)
(All of these documents are posted on-line at
http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_currentstat.html)
The AC voted to forward each of these sets of strategies (with minor
changes) to the Sanctuary Superintendent, Carol Bernthal, with a recommendation that they be incorporated into the Draft Management Plan that staff will be writing in 2010. A final version of the documents (with the AC's edits incorporated) will be posted on the website soon.
It is important to note that the AC may elect to modify the strategies produced by the working groups and workshops. Following AC discussion and editing, the strategies and activities are considered final AC recommendations that are forwarded to the Sanctuary Superintendent.
The AC will review the strategies and activities produced by the rest of the working groups and workshops at its January 22, 2010 meeting (which will likely be in Forks - details TBD).
After the January meeting, OCNMS staff will compile all the AC's recommendations for the priority topics and forward them to the Olympic Coast Intergovernmental Policy Council for review and comment. This review is anticipated in February 2010.
Also at November's AC meeting, George Galasso presented a more detailed management plan review schedule for 2010. If you are interested in specific actions we will take to produce the Draft Management Plan, this is the document for you. You can review this new schedule on-line at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_process_schedule.pdf
Finally, here is a quick overview of the working group/workshop process.
To date, we have involved 110 outside experts and interested folks in working group and workshop processes. Given that we needed to conduct the working group/workshop phase in a few months' time with minimal funding, we are really grateful that so many folks have contributed their time and expertise. Everyone's dedication to helping our management plan review process be successful and effective has meant a great deal to OCNMS staff. It is rewarding to see how many people and organizations care about the health and future of the Sanctuary.
We expect to be posting several new documents on the management plan website over the next couple months. We will try our best to ensure that the "current status" report on the website stays current
(http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_currentstat.html) so that everyone can follow our progress. Please check back regularly!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
House Passes Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act
Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives passed the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act (HR 1672), legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), by voice vote yesterday. This legislation renews the Congressional mandate for the Northwest Straits Commission, a grassroots organization that works to restore and protect marine habitat in Northwest Washington. HR 1672 has widespread support from the local community, including letters of support from elected officials in every county in which it operates.
“The Northwest Straits Commission has a proven track record of turning good ideas into well-executed restoration projects. Their efforts protect endangered species and create good jobs in our local communities,” said Larsen. “I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for supporting this legislation, and I thank Senator Patty Murray for her efforts to pass this bill in the Senate.”
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the health of the marine waters in the Northwest Straits region declined dramatically. In 1997, U.S. Senator Patty Murray led a blue-ribbon commission which recommended establishing a local organization to coordinate and implement grassroots projects that would improve the health of marine ecosystems. In 1998, Congress adopted the commission’s recommendation and created the Northwest Straits Commission.
Senator Murray has introduced legislation similar to HR 1672 in the Senate and is working to achieve its passage.
“The Northwest Straits are one of our state’s most treasured economic and environmental resources,” said Senator Murray. “Today’s passage of this bill through the House is a major step forward toward ensuring continued protection and conservation of the Northwest Straits. I thank Congressman Larsen for his strong effort and I will continue to work on this critical bill until it passes the Senate and is signed by the President.”
Larsen entered the following statement into the Congressional Record in support of the bill:
Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1672.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and northern Puget Sound, collectively known as the Northwest Straits, experienced substantial environmental decline. This was concerning because local communities rely on the resources of the Northwest Straits to create good-paying jobs and many iconic and endangered species, including orca whales and pacific salmon, rely on the Northwest Straits for food and habitat.
In 1997, Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Jack Metcalf convened a blue-ribbon commission to examine ways to reverse this trend and restore the health of the Northwest Straits. In 1998, Congress adopted the Murray-Metcalf Commission’s recommendations when it authorized the creation of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Commission, a grassroots organization which does not exercise regulatory authority but harnesses the energy of local communities to develop and implement conservation and restoration projects.
For the last 11 years, the Northwest Straits Commission has done great work to restore the Northwest Straits. Their projects have helped create jobs and protect endangered and threatened species.
The Northwest Straits Commission has demonstrated the ability to implement challenging recovery projects. The Commission used $4.5 million of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to remove hundreds of acres of abandoned fishing gear from the seafloor. This project created jobs for out-of-work fisherman and saved the lives of endangered species.
The legislation under consideration on the House floor today would extend the legislative authorization of the Northwest Straits Commission for an additional five years. It will increase tribal participation in the Commission and improve oversight of its activities.
HR 1672 has earned the support of our local community – I have received letters of support for this legislation from elected officials, businesspeople and environmentalists in every county in which the Northwest Straits Commission operates.
Similar legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate by my friend Senator Patty Murray. I hope that our joint effort will help to protect and restore the Northwest straits for the people, fish, and threatened wildlife which rely on it.
“The Northwest Straits Commission has a proven track record of turning good ideas into well-executed restoration projects. Their efforts protect endangered species and create good jobs in our local communities,” said Larsen. “I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for supporting this legislation, and I thank Senator Patty Murray for her efforts to pass this bill in the Senate.”
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the health of the marine waters in the Northwest Straits region declined dramatically. In 1997, U.S. Senator Patty Murray led a blue-ribbon commission which recommended establishing a local organization to coordinate and implement grassroots projects that would improve the health of marine ecosystems. In 1998, Congress adopted the commission’s recommendation and created the Northwest Straits Commission.
Senator Murray has introduced legislation similar to HR 1672 in the Senate and is working to achieve its passage.
“The Northwest Straits are one of our state’s most treasured economic and environmental resources,” said Senator Murray. “Today’s passage of this bill through the House is a major step forward toward ensuring continued protection and conservation of the Northwest Straits. I thank Congressman Larsen for his strong effort and I will continue to work on this critical bill until it passes the Senate and is signed by the President.”
Larsen entered the following statement into the Congressional Record in support of the bill:
Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1672.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and northern Puget Sound, collectively known as the Northwest Straits, experienced substantial environmental decline. This was concerning because local communities rely on the resources of the Northwest Straits to create good-paying jobs and many iconic and endangered species, including orca whales and pacific salmon, rely on the Northwest Straits for food and habitat.
In 1997, Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Jack Metcalf convened a blue-ribbon commission to examine ways to reverse this trend and restore the health of the Northwest Straits. In 1998, Congress adopted the Murray-Metcalf Commission’s recommendations when it authorized the creation of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Commission, a grassroots organization which does not exercise regulatory authority but harnesses the energy of local communities to develop and implement conservation and restoration projects.
For the last 11 years, the Northwest Straits Commission has done great work to restore the Northwest Straits. Their projects have helped create jobs and protect endangered and threatened species.
The Northwest Straits Commission has demonstrated the ability to implement challenging recovery projects. The Commission used $4.5 million of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to remove hundreds of acres of abandoned fishing gear from the seafloor. This project created jobs for out-of-work fisherman and saved the lives of endangered species.
The legislation under consideration on the House floor today would extend the legislative authorization of the Northwest Straits Commission for an additional five years. It will increase tribal participation in the Commission and improve oversight of its activities.
HR 1672 has earned the support of our local community – I have received letters of support for this legislation from elected officials, businesspeople and environmentalists in every county in which the Northwest Straits Commission operates.
Similar legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate by my friend Senator Patty Murray. I hope that our joint effort will help to protect and restore the Northwest straits for the people, fish, and threatened wildlife which rely on it.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Board Approves Shoreline Master Program for State Review
Port Townsend, WA— After a thorough and detailed review, the Board of County Commissioners reached an important milestone in the effort to update the Shoreline Master Program (SMP). On Monday, December 7, 2009 the Board took formal action by passing a resolution to approve an updated SMP for submittal to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) for final review and adoption. The Commissioners considered over 300 written and verbal comments and spent some 30 hours in deliberations to prepare an SMP that strikes a balance between shoreline use and protection. Next, the Locally Approved SMP (LA-SMP) must be reviewed and approved by Ecology prior to the new shoreline provisions taking effect, anticipated for no sooner than Spring 2010.
The Locally Approved SMP complies with state mandates to provide environmental protection for our freshwater and marine shoreline resources and allow necessary and appropriate shoreline use and development activities to continue. The new LA-SMP takes a flexible approach to shoreline buffer widths for new use and development by offering six options to allow site-specific tailoring. Single family homes continue to have special standing with allowances to build along Natural shorelines, to build on small lots, and to expand the existing footprint with minimal impacts to shoreline ecology when specific criteria are met.
The LA-SMP also recognizes the importance of the aquaculture industry for our local economy and water quality along our marine shores. New permitting requirements will allow ongoing and new aquaculture activities to continue providing jobs and bolstering the region’s reputation for quality seafood products while striving to minimize conflict between adjacent land uses. New permit requirements for mooring buoys will recognize the potential impact that boats can have on shellfish growing areas and ensure aquaculture operations won’t be damaged by vessel discharge. New vegetation management provisions will help protect natural shoreline functions and processes while minimizing risks to human health and safety.
“I appreciate all the public input and dedicated work by Michelle McConnell and other Department of Community Development staff to shape the SMP into an excellent balance between protecting the environment and individual property rights” said District 3 Commissioner John Austin. “The thoroughness and openness of the process to develop this Shoreline Master Program has been exemplary,” added Phil Johnson, Commissioner for District 1.
During the Board’s extensive discussions, they weighed scientific and technical analyses to ensure key shoreline functions and values are adequately protected. Shorelines play an important role in maintaining water quality, wildlife habitat, potable water supplies, sediment erosion, and more that support the quality of life upon which Jefferson County residents and visitors depend. The Board has crafted an SMP with many ‘flex points’ that tailor performance standards and permit processes to accommodate site conditions and property rights.
Board Chair, David Sullivan, Commissioner for District 2 noted “A lot of the value of our private shoreline properties is due to the fact that they are located along a healthy shoreline environment. The immense amount of public participation in this three-year process has resulted in an SMP that improves shoreline protections and protects private property values.”
After conducting their own public hearing, the Board accepted many of the provisions proposed by the Planning Commission Final Draft SMP, released in July, and directed staff to make certain changes. Many edits were in response to specific suggestions from public comments. Other changes were minor revisions to correct errors, formatting and make the text more readable. The Board made substantive changes to some policies and regulations to ensure consistency with state requirements, in consideration of legal and procedural requirements, and to attain document consistency. Key changes the Board made to the Planning Commission Final Draft SMP include:
Buffers – Avoiding a ‘one size fits all’ approach, the Board accepted the Planning Commission’s six proposed buffer adjustment options including 1) buffer reduction; 2) buffer averaging; 3) Critical Area Stewardship Plan (CASP); 4) Non-conforming Lots Standards; 5) Common Line Buffer; and 6) Shoreline Variance. The Planning Commission proposal for 150’ standard buffer along all streams/rivers and 100’ standard buffer on all lakes was also accepted by the Board. However, after difficult deliberations to balance property rights, state mandates for ‘no net loss of ecological functions’ and critical area protections, and scientific guidance, they opted to support a 150’ standard buffer for all marine shores, rather than the Planning Commission proposal for only 50’ along Shoreline Residential and High Intensity designated marine shores.
Non-conformity – The Board added review criteria thresholds in order to differentiate performance standards and permitting processes for situations when a non-conforming single family residential (SFR) structure increases the total footprint. Under the Board’s proposal, a non-conforming SFR structure will be able to expand/enlarge up to 10% of the footprint without a conditional use permit or shoreline variance as long as prescriptive criteria are met, or up to 25% when the buffer area is enhanced with native vegetation. The Planning Commission proposal had allowed for such expansion/enlargement without sufficient criteria or standards, making compliance with the state ‘no net loss’ requirement questionable.
Economic Development –
a. Aquaculture - The Board gave serious consideration before including an outright prohibition on net pens and a qualified prohibition on all finfish aquaculture that uses/releases harmful materials, in contrast to the Planning Commission proposal to allow such operations when they didn’t have negative effects. The differentiation between ‘Bottom Aquaculture’ and ‘Floating/Hanging Aquaculture was replaced by addressing ‘Aquaculture Activities’ collectively, with an exception for geoduck aquaculture. The Board changed the Planning Commission proposed permit requirement for geoduck aquaculture from an Administrative Conditional Use Permit (CUP) only when adjacent to Shoreline Residential environment designation to requiring a Discretionary CUP in the Natural, Conservancy, and Shoreline Residential designations, and a Substantial Development Permit in the High Intensity designation. This allows local review to ensure aquaculture operations and adjacent uses are compatible.
b. Industrial/Port – The Board’s concern for adjacent use compatibility also led them to include a provision to control noise, vibration, glare, and odor impacts for industrial and port development.
Residential use –
a. Beach Access Structures and Boating Facilities – The Board included regulatory differentiation between public and private structures to prefer public structures that serve greater numbers of people and minimize the proliferation of individual structures as per state requirements.
b. Shore Armor – The Board included a provision to allow shore armoring to protect existing public transportation infrastructure and essential public facilities when otherwise prohibited for other use/development.
c. SFR & ADUs– The Board removed the Planning Commission’s proposed allowance for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) related to single family residential (SFR) use/development in the Natural shoreline designation in order to meet state requirements for density and intensity of development in sensitive areas.
Mooring buoys –
The Board changed the permit requirement from a Substantial Development Permit (SDP) in all environment designations as proposed by the Planning Commission to an Administrative CUP when adjacent to Natural, Conservancy, and Shoreline Residential designation, and SDP when adjacent to High Intensity. This change was in response to recent concerns about the potential impacts of moored boats on shellfish growing areas, and to streamline the permitting process for the applicant. While the County recently enacted a moratorium on new buoys in Mystery Bay, final adoption of the new SMP would repeal that ordinance. The County is currently working with state agencies, stakeholders, and the public to develop a Mystery Bay Management Plan.
The Locally Approved SMP gives special recognition to single family homes with many provisions not afforded to other types of development: 1) single family homes will be allowed along Natural shorelines as a conditional use, where they are currently prohibited; 2) existing single family homes that don’t meet the new buffer requirements will be considered ‘non-conforming’ but will be allowed to rebuild on the same footprint should natural disaster damage the structure; 3) non-conforming homes will be allowed to expand/enlarge up to 25% of their footprint without conditional use or shoreline variance permits; 4) new single family homes can be built on non-conforming lots that are too small for the standard buffer as long as site-specific criteria are met to minimize shoreline impacts; and 5) new single family homes built adjacent to existing homes which could block views, may be located closer than the standard buffer to ensure shoreline views that are comparable to the neighbors.
The Board’s many changes have resulted in an SMP that allows for reasonable development along Jefferson County’s river, lake and saltwater shores while finding a compromise between environmental protection, private property rights and public access.
Once Ecology receives the County’s locally-approved SMP, they will schedule a comment period and public hearing, and then provide the County with feedback on the document as to its compliance with the state’s Shoreline Management Act and the SMP Guidelines. After both the County and the State agree on a final version of the SMP, both entities will formally adopt the program, and the new SMP will take effect. Final adoption is currently anticipated to occur no sooner than Spring 2010.
The purpose of the Shoreline Master Program is to maintain existing shoreline resources, foster shoreline recovery over time, and to balance shoreline use and protection. Jefferson County is required to update its Shoreline Master Program (SMP) in compliance with the State’s 1971 Shoreline Management Act and the 2003 SMP Guidelines. All 39 counties and over 200 cities in the State must update their SMPs by 2014. Today, Ecology announced adoption of a new SMP for the City of Kennewick in the Tri-Cities area of the state, joining a list of some 8 other municipalities with new SMPs in place, including City of Port Townsend SMP adopted in 2007. To date, only two counties have successfully completed such an SMP update – Whatcom County and Douglas County.
For more information or to join the SMP e-mail notification list, contact Associate Planner Michelle McConnell at 360.379.4484, via e-mail at mmcconnell@co.jefferson.wa.us or visit the County’s Web site http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/ShorelineUpdate_2005-9.htm.
The Locally Approved SMP complies with state mandates to provide environmental protection for our freshwater and marine shoreline resources and allow necessary and appropriate shoreline use and development activities to continue. The new LA-SMP takes a flexible approach to shoreline buffer widths for new use and development by offering six options to allow site-specific tailoring. Single family homes continue to have special standing with allowances to build along Natural shorelines, to build on small lots, and to expand the existing footprint with minimal impacts to shoreline ecology when specific criteria are met.
The LA-SMP also recognizes the importance of the aquaculture industry for our local economy and water quality along our marine shores. New permitting requirements will allow ongoing and new aquaculture activities to continue providing jobs and bolstering the region’s reputation for quality seafood products while striving to minimize conflict between adjacent land uses. New permit requirements for mooring buoys will recognize the potential impact that boats can have on shellfish growing areas and ensure aquaculture operations won’t be damaged by vessel discharge. New vegetation management provisions will help protect natural shoreline functions and processes while minimizing risks to human health and safety.
“I appreciate all the public input and dedicated work by Michelle McConnell and other Department of Community Development staff to shape the SMP into an excellent balance between protecting the environment and individual property rights” said District 3 Commissioner John Austin. “The thoroughness and openness of the process to develop this Shoreline Master Program has been exemplary,” added Phil Johnson, Commissioner for District 1.
During the Board’s extensive discussions, they weighed scientific and technical analyses to ensure key shoreline functions and values are adequately protected. Shorelines play an important role in maintaining water quality, wildlife habitat, potable water supplies, sediment erosion, and more that support the quality of life upon which Jefferson County residents and visitors depend. The Board has crafted an SMP with many ‘flex points’ that tailor performance standards and permit processes to accommodate site conditions and property rights.
Board Chair, David Sullivan, Commissioner for District 2 noted “A lot of the value of our private shoreline properties is due to the fact that they are located along a healthy shoreline environment. The immense amount of public participation in this three-year process has resulted in an SMP that improves shoreline protections and protects private property values.”
After conducting their own public hearing, the Board accepted many of the provisions proposed by the Planning Commission Final Draft SMP, released in July, and directed staff to make certain changes. Many edits were in response to specific suggestions from public comments. Other changes were minor revisions to correct errors, formatting and make the text more readable. The Board made substantive changes to some policies and regulations to ensure consistency with state requirements, in consideration of legal and procedural requirements, and to attain document consistency. Key changes the Board made to the Planning Commission Final Draft SMP include:
Buffers – Avoiding a ‘one size fits all’ approach, the Board accepted the Planning Commission’s six proposed buffer adjustment options including 1) buffer reduction; 2) buffer averaging; 3) Critical Area Stewardship Plan (CASP); 4) Non-conforming Lots Standards; 5) Common Line Buffer; and 6) Shoreline Variance. The Planning Commission proposal for 150’ standard buffer along all streams/rivers and 100’ standard buffer on all lakes was also accepted by the Board. However, after difficult deliberations to balance property rights, state mandates for ‘no net loss of ecological functions’ and critical area protections, and scientific guidance, they opted to support a 150’ standard buffer for all marine shores, rather than the Planning Commission proposal for only 50’ along Shoreline Residential and High Intensity designated marine shores.
Non-conformity – The Board added review criteria thresholds in order to differentiate performance standards and permitting processes for situations when a non-conforming single family residential (SFR) structure increases the total footprint. Under the Board’s proposal, a non-conforming SFR structure will be able to expand/enlarge up to 10% of the footprint without a conditional use permit or shoreline variance as long as prescriptive criteria are met, or up to 25% when the buffer area is enhanced with native vegetation. The Planning Commission proposal had allowed for such expansion/enlargement without sufficient criteria or standards, making compliance with the state ‘no net loss’ requirement questionable.
Economic Development –
a. Aquaculture - The Board gave serious consideration before including an outright prohibition on net pens and a qualified prohibition on all finfish aquaculture that uses/releases harmful materials, in contrast to the Planning Commission proposal to allow such operations when they didn’t have negative effects. The differentiation between ‘Bottom Aquaculture’ and ‘Floating/Hanging Aquaculture was replaced by addressing ‘Aquaculture Activities’ collectively, with an exception for geoduck aquaculture. The Board changed the Planning Commission proposed permit requirement for geoduck aquaculture from an Administrative Conditional Use Permit (CUP) only when adjacent to Shoreline Residential environment designation to requiring a Discretionary CUP in the Natural, Conservancy, and Shoreline Residential designations, and a Substantial Development Permit in the High Intensity designation. This allows local review to ensure aquaculture operations and adjacent uses are compatible.
b. Industrial/Port – The Board’s concern for adjacent use compatibility also led them to include a provision to control noise, vibration, glare, and odor impacts for industrial and port development.
Residential use –
a. Beach Access Structures and Boating Facilities – The Board included regulatory differentiation between public and private structures to prefer public structures that serve greater numbers of people and minimize the proliferation of individual structures as per state requirements.
b. Shore Armor – The Board included a provision to allow shore armoring to protect existing public transportation infrastructure and essential public facilities when otherwise prohibited for other use/development.
c. SFR & ADUs– The Board removed the Planning Commission’s proposed allowance for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) related to single family residential (SFR) use/development in the Natural shoreline designation in order to meet state requirements for density and intensity of development in sensitive areas.
Mooring buoys –
The Board changed the permit requirement from a Substantial Development Permit (SDP) in all environment designations as proposed by the Planning Commission to an Administrative CUP when adjacent to Natural, Conservancy, and Shoreline Residential designation, and SDP when adjacent to High Intensity. This change was in response to recent concerns about the potential impacts of moored boats on shellfish growing areas, and to streamline the permitting process for the applicant. While the County recently enacted a moratorium on new buoys in Mystery Bay, final adoption of the new SMP would repeal that ordinance. The County is currently working with state agencies, stakeholders, and the public to develop a Mystery Bay Management Plan.
The Locally Approved SMP gives special recognition to single family homes with many provisions not afforded to other types of development: 1) single family homes will be allowed along Natural shorelines as a conditional use, where they are currently prohibited; 2) existing single family homes that don’t meet the new buffer requirements will be considered ‘non-conforming’ but will be allowed to rebuild on the same footprint should natural disaster damage the structure; 3) non-conforming homes will be allowed to expand/enlarge up to 25% of their footprint without conditional use or shoreline variance permits; 4) new single family homes can be built on non-conforming lots that are too small for the standard buffer as long as site-specific criteria are met to minimize shoreline impacts; and 5) new single family homes built adjacent to existing homes which could block views, may be located closer than the standard buffer to ensure shoreline views that are comparable to the neighbors.
The Board’s many changes have resulted in an SMP that allows for reasonable development along Jefferson County’s river, lake and saltwater shores while finding a compromise between environmental protection, private property rights and public access.
Once Ecology receives the County’s locally-approved SMP, they will schedule a comment period and public hearing, and then provide the County with feedback on the document as to its compliance with the state’s Shoreline Management Act and the SMP Guidelines. After both the County and the State agree on a final version of the SMP, both entities will formally adopt the program, and the new SMP will take effect. Final adoption is currently anticipated to occur no sooner than Spring 2010.
The purpose of the Shoreline Master Program is to maintain existing shoreline resources, foster shoreline recovery over time, and to balance shoreline use and protection. Jefferson County is required to update its Shoreline Master Program (SMP) in compliance with the State’s 1971 Shoreline Management Act and the 2003 SMP Guidelines. All 39 counties and over 200 cities in the State must update their SMPs by 2014. Today, Ecology announced adoption of a new SMP for the City of Kennewick in the Tri-Cities area of the state, joining a list of some 8 other municipalities with new SMPs in place, including City of Port Townsend SMP adopted in 2007. To date, only two counties have successfully completed such an SMP update – Whatcom County and Douglas County.
For more information or to join the SMP e-mail notification list, contact Associate Planner Michelle McConnell at 360.379.4484, via e-mail at mmcconnell@co.jefferson.wa.us or visit the County’s Web site http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/ShorelineUpdate_2005-9.htm.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sale or landfill? State Takes Over Derelict Boat in Port Townsend
By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News PORT TOWNSEND -- A 50-foot wooden boat that nearly sank in shellfish-rich Mystery Bay a month ago has been taken over by the state and will be either sold or sent to a landfill.The 1920 Yankee Sundowner has been sitting in the Port of Port Townsend boatyard storage area since it was towed from the Mystery Bay moorage near the tip of Griffith Point off the shores of Marrowstone Island on Nov. 2.It was hauled out of Boat Haven marina because it leaked diesel fuel after Port Hadlock-based Vessel Assist towed it into the marina.Melissa Ferris, director of the state Department of Natural Resources derelict vessel program, inspected the vessel Thursday in Port Townsend and said the vessel's owner, Robert Davis, was given the usual 30 days to pay the state for haul-out and storage and at least begin repairs. Haul-out and storage fees must be paid to the state in that period or the state takes the vessel into its permanent possession.State takes custodyFerris said no work had been done on the vessel as of Thursday, so the state was taking custody.Haul-out and storage fees for the vessel would amount to nearly $1,400 through December, port officials said.Ferris said a marine surveyor would have to take a look at the boat before the state decides its fate. "We are deciding on the next steps with it," Ferris said. That will involve calling in a marine surveyor to decide if the rotting vessel can be sold for salvage."It's a matter of if it's worth selling it or just taking it to the landfill," she said.Cut it up, haul it offFerris said that if the state chooses to destroy the vessel, it would have to go through a request for proposals process for a company to come in, dismantle it and haul it away."They would just cut it up and haul it off to landfill and take the metal from it to the scrap yard," she said.Three Marrowstone Island residents were credited with averting a diesel fuel spill from the boat after they boated out to the sinking, derelict vessel and pumped out water that had caused it to list and nearly sink.Susie Clinefelter said she was rowing her dinghy in Mystery Bay around 7 a.m. Nov. 2 when she spotted the sinking vessel. She and her husband, Brad, accompanied by Marrowstone neighbor Glenn Woodbury, reached the boat before Vessel Assist arrived.Also reporting the sinking vessel to the Coast Guard were Devon and Jim Surgent, who are building a Griffith Point Road home overlooking the vessel, which they had watched sink for months.DNR, which owns the tidelands where the boat was moored near the tip of Griffith Point and across from Mystery Bay State Park, took possession of the vessel.Vessel Assist of Port Hadlock and Cascade Towing, were hired by DNR to remove the vessel. It was towed it to Port Townsend Boat Haven marina late that Monday afternoon.The port then had to haul the vessel out when a diesel spill was discovered around the vessel.Ferris said the Yankee Sundowner was one of up to 190 derelict vessels the state has listed for removal, but a staffing shortage delayed action.As steward of the 2.6 million acres of state aquatic lands, DNR manages the bedlands under Puget Sound and the coast, many of Washington's beaches, and natural lakes and navigable rivers.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Attention Environmental Educators!
Wondering what cutting edge science has to say about building healthy ecosystems for humans and wildlife?
Take the SeaDoc Society's free month-long e-course on designing healthy coastal ecosystems. You'll get an informative email every three days, covering the ten ecological principles that provide a big picture view of how to create and safeguard a healthy ecosystem. You’ll also be able to use on-line forums to discuss with other educators how to most effectively teach these principles.
Sign up at http://www.seadocsociety.org/courses/topten
Take the SeaDoc Society's free month-long e-course on designing healthy coastal ecosystems. You'll get an informative email every three days, covering the ten ecological principles that provide a big picture view of how to create and safeguard a healthy ecosystem. You’ll also be able to use on-line forums to discuss with other educators how to most effectively teach these principles.
Sign up at http://www.seadocsociety.org/courses/topten
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
SMP: Local approval - Mon. Dec. 7
Local Approval:
The SMP is set for local approval by Board of County Commissioner Resolution next Monday, December 7 (tentative time is 10:45 am but subject to change). Board agendas are online at http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commissioners/Agenda/, generally posted on the Thursday prior to each meeting.
Final document revisions, some tricky formatting issues and preparation of the 35-page resolution with over 170 findings of fact and numerous attachments took longer than anticipated, keeping staff from meeting the previously anticipated November target dates for local approval. Apologies for any inconvenience the delay may have caused.
Local approval means the SMP will be submitted to the WA Dept. of Ecology for the final review and adoption process. The new goals, policies, designations and regulations will be in effect upon final adoption, currently anticipated for sometime in 2010.
Public Comment:
Once the Board takes formal action the SMP will be available to the public (online, review copies, etc.) and will be sent to Ecology. Then another public comment period and public hearing will be scheduled by the state. This email list will be notified when specific dates are determined.
More Information:
A press release is in development and will be distributed later this week. Stay tuned…
The SMP is set for local approval by Board of County Commissioner Resolution next Monday, December 7 (tentative time is 10:45 am but subject to change). Board agendas are online at http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commissioners/Agenda/, generally posted on the Thursday prior to each meeting.
Final document revisions, some tricky formatting issues and preparation of the 35-page resolution with over 170 findings of fact and numerous attachments took longer than anticipated, keeping staff from meeting the previously anticipated November target dates for local approval. Apologies for any inconvenience the delay may have caused.
Local approval means the SMP will be submitted to the WA Dept. of Ecology for the final review and adoption process. The new goals, policies, designations and regulations will be in effect upon final adoption, currently anticipated for sometime in 2010.
Public Comment:
Once the Board takes formal action the SMP will be available to the public (online, review copies, etc.) and will be sent to Ecology. Then another public comment period and public hearing will be scheduled by the state. This email list will be notified when specific dates are determined.
More Information:
A press release is in development and will be distributed later this week. Stay tuned…
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