With a draft of the updated Grays Harbor County Shoreline Master Program (SMP) ready for public comment, the County Shoreline Planning Committee will hold the last of three countywide workshops on the draft from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at the Ocosta Rec Hall, 1682 State Route 105 in Ocosta.
There will be a presentation on the draft SMP, a group question and answer session and an opportunity to meet committee members and staff.
Two previous workshops on the draft Plan were held Sept. 8 in Montesano and Sept. 13 in Pacific Beach.
Shoreline Management Act
Washington residents voted for the Shoreline Management Act (SMA) in 1971 to ensure the responsible use and development of shorelines in the state. The SMA applies statewide to cities and counties that have shorelines that meet specific criteria. In Western Washington, shorelines affected by the act include:
• All marine waters
• Streams and rivers with a mean annual flow greater than 20 cubic feet per second
• Lakes 20 acres or greater
• Upland areas 200 feet from the ordinary high water mark along shorelines of the state, including their associated wetlands
There are approximately 720 miles of shorelines in Grays Harbor County, including the ocean shorelines, the Grays Harbor Estuary, and all or portions of the Chehalis, Humptulips, North River, Satsop, E. Fork Satsop, Wynoochee, and Quinault Rivers.
SMA enforcement
Cities and counties are the primary regulators of shoreline development and use, with the Washington State Department of Ecology having the authority to review Shoreline Master Programs and certain types of shoreline permits issued by the county.
Four phase plan update process
The recent Grays Harbor public comment open houses are a part of Phase 2 — Draft SMP Development – of the Grays Harbor County Shoreline Master Program update process that, when adopted, will have taken approximately three years to complete.
Phase 1 — Technical Background Documents – included the preparation of technical background documents that establish the informational foundation for the plan. The county adopted these technical documents as they completed review and comment by county residents, organizations, local governments, and technical experts.
Using the Phase 1 information, the committee developed the Draft Shoreline Master Program. Pubic comments from the three workshops this month will be studied for use in completing the Draft Program.
When the Draft Program is completed, the Committee then will move on to Phase 3: Local Adoption. This phase involves:
• The Grays Harbor County Planning Commission reviewing the draft SMP for consistency with the comprehensive plan, holding a public hearing, and making a recommendation to the County Board of Commissioners.
• The Commissioners will review the draft Shoreline Master Program, hold a public hearing, revise the SMP if necessary, and approve movement on to the final step, state approval.
Ecology will then offer additional public review opportunities before issuing a final approval.
When approved by the state, the GH County Board of Commissioners will adopt the Shoreline Master Program by ordinance.
