Transcript Shoreline Management Act of 1971

The Legal Implications of
Sea Level Rise
The Washington Climate Change Impacts Assessment Conference
Erin Crisman-Glass
Attorney at Law
Conference Presentation: Jessica Levin
Photos: courtesy of Hugh Shipman
The Legal Landscape Along
Washington’s Shorelines
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Federal, State, and Local Laws
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Governing Legal Principles
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Coastal Zone Management Act & Shoreline Management Act (SMA)
Hydraulics Project Approval law
State Environmental Policy Act
Floodplain Management Act
Unconstitutional Takings
Substantive Due Process
Law of Accretion & Erosion
Public Trust Doctrine
Possible Adaptations & Policy Decisions
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Retreat
Rolling Easements
The Shoreline Management Act of 1971
Where does the SMA apply?
Shoreline Management Act
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Policies
Foster reasonable and appropriate uses of shorelines
 Protect shoreline natural resources and ecological
function
 Promote public access
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Shoreline Management Act
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Implementation—A Cooperative Approach
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Local Governments
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Department of Ecology
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Shoreline Master Programs
Shoreline Master Program Guidelines
What do SMPs do?
Shoreline Management Act
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Permit Process
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Substantial Development Permit
Conditional Use Permit
Variance
Exemptions
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Maintenance & repair
Single-family residences
Emergencies
Bulkhead construction to protect single-family residences
SMA: Possible Responses to Sea Level Rise
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Shoreline Master Program Guidelines update–
every 7 years
Environmental designations
Cumulative impact of exemptions, particularly
single-family residence exception
Increased training at local level
“No net loss” of ecological function
The Hydraulic Code
Fish and Shellfish Resources
Hydraulic Code
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Purpose: protect fish & shellfish resources
Permit requirement
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Any construction activity affecting flow of salt or
fresh water
Exemptions
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Single-family residences
Hydraulic Code
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Responses to Sea Level Rise
Department of Fish & Wildlife: authority to create
buffers?
 Consider cumulative impacts
 Reconsider exemptions for single-family residences
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State Environmental Policy Act
Agency Consideration of Environmental Consequences
State Environmental Policy Act
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Purpose: consider likely environmental
consequences
Categorical exemptions
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Residential structure of four units or less
SEPA review
SEPA-related responses to sea level rise
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Climate Action Team’s SEPA work group
Floodplain Management Act
Floodplain Management Act
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Mandate of the National Flood Insurance
Program
Implementation
Department of Ecology
 Local governments
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Response to sea level rise
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Importance of floodplain maps
Relevant Legal Doctrines
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Challenges to Land Use Regulations
Takings
Per se taking
 Just compensation
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Substantive Due Process
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Is the government exercising its police power in an
arbitrary or unreasonable manner?
Relevant Legal Doctrines
Existing Norms in the Common Law
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Common law of erosion and accretion
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Loss of title
Public Trust Doctrine
Waters of the state are a public resource
 Under-utilized?
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Policy Options
Possible Legislative Responses
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Rolling Easements
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Statewide Policy of Retreat
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Hybrid approach?
Image taken from EPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/images/easement.jpg
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