Ecology approves Pierce County's revised shoreline master program

Pierce County's updated shoreline master program will protect and guide

shoreline uses in the county, including these shores on the south end of Key Peninsula.

Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman.

 

On Oct. 12, we approved Pierce County’s updated shoreline master program (SMP), the first comprehensive revision to the county’s master program since 1975.

Pierce County’s locally-tailored land-use policies and regulations will protect and guide the use of 225 miles of marine and 880 miles of freshwater shoreline in the county, including the shorelines around or along:

• Anderson, Fox, and McNeil islands in Puget Sound
• The Tacoma Narrows
• Portions of Key and Gig Harbor peninsulas
• Chambers, Clover, and Spanaway creeks
• Carbon, Nisqually, Puyallup, and White Rivers
• Lake Tapps

The county’s revised SMP:

• Protects the county’s environmental resources in its shoreline areas for future generations.
• Provides for public access to public waters and shorelines.
• Plans for water-dependent uses such as aquaculture, maritime and boating activities, and shoreline recreation.

Pierce County's updated SMP takes effect Oct. 26, unless the joint local-state decision is appealed to the state Growth Management Hearings Board.

Share your thoughts on Pierce County's shoreline plan

We want your comments on the Pierce County Shoreline Master Program. Join us Wednesday evening for an open house and public hearing to share your thoughts on the county shoreline plan.

Shoreline Master Programs help us plan to use our shorelines responsibly.

What's a Shoreline Master Program?

Shoreline Master Programs are local plans developed by cities and counties to manage shoreline use. These local programs protect natural resources for future generations, provide for public access to public waters and shores, and plan for shoreline uses and development.

Pierce County's shoreline plan

Pierce County's long-awaited shoreline plan is ready for your review and comment. The public comment period started March 15 and will run through April 29.

Public comment period: 

March 15 to April 29

Last year, Pierce County locally approved its shoreline plan for managing more than 700 miles of county shoreline, including all waters along Puget Sound, numerous lakes and rivers, and associated wetlands within the county. They then submitted their plan to Ecology for review and approval.

Join the open house

Learn more and comment in person at tomorrow's open house:

When	Wednesday, March 30, 2016 Open house starts at 5 p.m. Public hearing starts at 6:30 p.m.
Where	Pacific Lutheran University Chris Knutzen Hall 12598 Park Avenue South Tacoma, Washington 98447

Your input will help us as we decide to either approve the county's Shoreline Master Program as it is written, or request changes before it can be approved.

Learn more, review the draft plan and submit your comments online at http://bit.ly/PierceSMP.

Updating the county’s shoreline plan

This proposed Shoreline Master Program is the first comprehensive update to the county’s shoreline plan since 1975. If adopted, it will completely replace the existing program with updated goals, policies, regulations, shoreline environment designations, definitions and administrative procedures.

The new plan will advance shoreline habitat protection while guiding county planning for new development and public access.

Learn about shoreline planning on our Shoreline Master Program webpage.

By: Jessica Payne, Shorelands program communications manager