Transcript Shoreline Master Program Update Status Update and Draft Shoreline Environment Designations June 30, 2010 Board of County Commissioners Briefing Staff - Cynthia Wilson & Molly Levitt [email protected] [email protected] http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/shoreline/shoreline_home.htm.

Shoreline Master Program
Update
Status Update
and
Draft Shoreline Environment Designations
June 30, 2010
Board of County Commissioners Briefing
Staff - Cynthia Wilson & Molly Levitt
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/shoreline/shoreline_home.htm
Briefing Purpose
• Provide an update to the Board on:
– Status of the SMP Update
– Draft Shoreline Environment Designations
• Solicit Board questions or comments
Background
• The State adopted new SMP guidelines in 2003 that
require jurisdictions to update their local Shoreline
Master Programs. Thurston County’s update is due by
December 31, 2011.
• The Shoreline Master Program update contract was
finalized with Ecology in October, 2007 for three years.
Funding from Ecology for the SMP update will end on
October 1, 2010.
Background
• Two consultants contracted to assist in the update
– Grette Associates who contributed to the inventory and analysis
required for shoreline characterization
– Creative Community Solutions who supported the County’s
public outreach efforts
• Both consultants completed their contracts in June 2009.
•
Since that time, county staff have been conducting all
the SMP update tasks.
Deliverables were delayed between spring of 2008 to
winter of 2009 due to loss of staff and GIS resources.
Staff have been working hard to recover from this delay.
SMP Phases and Update Schedule
PHASE UPDATE SCHEDULE
TIMELINE
1
Preliminary Shoreline Jurisdiction and Public
Participation Plan
Fall 2007Spring 2008
2
Shoreline Inventory, Analysis and
Characterization
Winter 2009 –
Summer 2010
3
Shoreline Environment Designation;
Policy and Regulation Development;
Cumulative Impacts Analysis
Fall 2009 –
Summer 2010
4
Restoration Plan;
Revisiting Phase 3 Products as Necessary
Summer 2010
5
Local Approval
Late Summer
– Fall 2010
State Approval
Fall 2010 –
Spring 2011
6
Progress - Phase 1
• Phase 1 – Preliminary Shoreline
Jurisdiction and Public Participation Plan
– Public workshops and meetings
• Five in 2008 – locations and issues of interest or
• Seven in 2009 – four covered general goals and
policies and three were aquaculture specific
– Proposed shoreline jurisdiction map created
and reviewed by Ecology
– Inter-jurisdictional coordination
– Scientific and Technical Advisory Group
Progress – Phase 2
• Phase 2: Shoreline Inventory and Shoreline
Analysis and Characterization
– 1st draft Inventory and Characterization report
completed – available on website for comment
– Reviewed by Ecology, STAG, PC, and the public
– 2nd draft incorporating comments is nearing
completion within a month
Progress – Phase 3
• Phase 3: Shoreline Environment Designations;
Policy and Regulation Development; and
Cumulative Impacts Analysis
– Shoreline Environment Designations (SEDs)
• 1st and 2nd draft report and map of Draft SEDs
• 1st and 2nd drafts reviewed by Ecology and STAG
• 2nd draft reviewed by PC and public
– Draft Policies and Regulations – in progress
– Cumulative Impacts Analysis – in progress
Phase 4 –
Summer 2010
• Phase 4: Restoration Plan; and revisiting
Phase 3 products as necessary.
– Develop a restoration plan - initiated
– Public workshops and meetings
– Revisiting Phase 3 products as comments
received
• Shoreline Environment Designations
• Policies and Regulations
• Cumulative Impacts Analysis
Phase 5 –
Late summer - Fall 2010
• Phase 5: Local Approval
– Assemble complete draft SMP and submit to
Ecology for informal review
– Public hearings and meetings
– Planning Commission recommendations
– Thurston County Board of County
Commissioners action
– Local adoption of SMP and submit to Ecology
Phase 6 –
Fall 2010 – Spring 2011
• Phase 6: State Approval
– Public notice
– Ecology review
– Ecology action
– Final adoption by Ecology and Thurston
County Board of County Commissioners
Phase 3 – Draft Shoreline Environmental
Designations (SEDs)
• SEDs similar to zoning
• Assign an SED to each distinct segment of
shoreline
• SED assignment based on Inventory and
Characterization:
– 1st - Ecological processes and functions
– 2nd - Existing and planned land use
Phase 3 – Draft Shoreline Environmental
Designations (SEDs)
• Each SED has specific shoreline policies and
regulations
• SED assignment must assure the protection
of existing shoreline ecological functions
with the proposed pattern and intensity of
development
• Must be consistent with Critical Areas
Ordinance
Shoreline Environment Designations
• Ecology’s 2003 guidelines recommend following six
•
•
basic designations – TC using five of these
Local governments can establish a different SED
system, provided it is consistent with Ecology’s
Thurston County is proposing using seven SEDs
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–
–
–
–
–
–
Aquatic*
Natural*
Rural Conservancy*
Urban Conservancy*
Shoreline Residential*
Resource Conservancy
Mining
Thurston County Draft SEDs and their purposes
SED
Purpose
Aquatic
Protect, restore, and manage the unique characteristics and resources of the
areas waterward of the ordinary high-water mark.
Natural
Protect those shoreline areas that are relatively free of human influence, and/or
that include intact or minimally degraded shoreline functions intolerant of human
use. Only very low intensity uses are allowed in order to maintain the ecological
functions and ecosystem-wide processes.
Rural
Provide for sustained resource use, public access, and recreational opportunities
Conservancy while protecting ecological functions, and conserving existing ecological,
historical, and cultural resources,
Urban
Protect and restore ecological functions of open space, floodplain and other
Conservancy sensitive lands where they exist in urban and developed settings, while allowing a
variety of compatible uses.
Shoreline
To accommodate residential development and appurtenant structures and
Residential
provide appropriate public access and recreational uses in areas where medium
and high density residential developments and services exist or are planned.
Resource
Conservancy
Mining
To protect shoreline ecological functions in areas zoned long term forestry. To
provide sustained resource use, and protect the economic base of those lands
and limit incompatible uses.
To protect shoreline ecological functions in areas with mining activities within
shoreline jurisdiction. To provide sustained resource use, and protect the
economic base of those lands and limit incompatible uses.
General SED Assignment
Each SED has specific criteria to inform SED assignments
• Aquatic - all areas waterward of ordinary high water mark
• Natural - high quality habitat characteristics and/or minimal
shoreline modification
• Shoreline Residential - platted and/or developed for
relatively high-density residential development and showed
signs of more intense modification/use
• Resource Conservancy - Lands designated as “forest lands
of long-term significance” - Zoned Long Term Forestry
• Mining - Reaches that contain shorelines created by mining
activity
• Rural or Urban Conservancy – applied to all other
shorelands upland of the Ordinary High Water Mark.
• Sometimes multiple designations per reach
Draft SEDs
• Maps created of Draft SEDs
• Planning to add a “Public Preserve” SED
• Comments and questions requested on Draft
SED assignments
• Policies and Regulations for each SED are in
progress – will be discussed later
Recap and Next Steps
• Funding from Ecology ends October 1, 2010
• 2nd draft Inventory and Characterization Report incorporating
•
•
•
•
•
•
comments will be completed in a month
2nd Draft SEDs have been completed and reviewed – will be
modified again based on public comment this summer
Policies and Regulations are in progress
Cumulative Impacts Analysis and Restoration Plan - summer
Complete draft of the SMP available for public comment and
review expected by the end of the summer
Public outreach and workshops on draft SMP - late summer
Local adoption process expected to begin in late August, with
the state adoption process following
Board Comments and Questions
• Status of the SMP Update
• Draft Shoreline Environment Designations