Gov. Gary Locke Announces Important Agreement on Shoreline Guidelines

(Press release from the Governor's office)

OLYMPIA, WA- Dec. 20, 2002 - Gov. Gary Locke today announced that the state has
reached a long-awaited agreement on Washington's shoreline management
guidelines. Locke was joined at a news conference in Olympia by
representatives of business, environmental groups and local government who
participated in the negotiation.

"This important agreement will help us move forward to protect our
shorelines," Locke said. "By bringing businesses and environmentalists
together, we have proven that we can achieve consensus on even the most
controversial issues."

The state's Shoreline Management Act directs the Department of Ecology to
adopt guidelines for how to satisfy the protection standards contained in
the act, and requires cities and counties to adopt local shoreline
ordinances that comply with the state guidelines.

Two years ago, the state Department of Ecology updated the state's shoreline
management guidelines for the first time since 1972. However, a coalition
of business groups and local governments challenged the guidelines, and the
Shoreline Hearings Board subsequently invalidated them. Ecology Director
Tom Fitzsimmons asked Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire to
sponsor mediation talks aimed at reaching a legal settlement.

"The successful mediation avoided further litigation that would have been
costly and time consuming for all parties," Gregoire said. "This is an
example of how business, environmentalists and local governments can work
together to achieve their mutual goals."

Under the negotiated shoreline guidelines, local shoreline master programs
must:

* Manage shoreline development and uses in a manner that preserves and
protects the environmental functions of the shorelines
* Assure that new development will result in no net loss of shoreline
ecological functions
* Set priorities and include a plan for restoring past shoreline
damage, where appropriate
* Coordinate shoreline programs with local comprehensive plans and
regulations, and with other state and federal requirements
* Respect constitutional and legal limits on regulating private
property

"We believe this settlement serves to protect and preserve our state's
unique shorelines but still allows reasonable commercial, industrial and
residential use," said Don Brunell, president of the Association of
Washington Business (AWB), which represented more than four dozen business
groups, cities and counties in the mediation.

Fitzsimmons said the negotiated guidelines will provide more flexibility in
managing and using shorelines, while providing a greater degree of
protection for crucial shoreline functions, such as containing flood waters,
preventing erosion, and providing habitat for a host of aquatic life.

"Today, we've accomplished something good for our kids and grandkids.
Improved guidelines will help protect the rivers, lakes and marine waters
that make Washington so amazing," said Jay Manning of the Washington
Environmental Council, which negotiated on behalf of several environmental
organizations.

"As an industry, we felt it was important to reflect the relationship of the
Shoreline Act, the Growth Management Act and SEPA (the State Environmental
Protection Act), while noting the unique geology of Washington," said Bruce
Chattin, executive director of the Washington Aggregates & Concrete
Association.

# # #

History of the Shoreline Management Act and guidelines:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/SMA/guidelines/newguid.htm

 

from the Office of the Governor

Approved-By: Kirsten.Kendrick@GOV.WA.GOV
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2656.59)
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 14:28:32 -0800
From: "Kendrick, Kirsten" <Kirsten.Kendrick@GOV.WA.GOV
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Gov. Gary Locke Announces Important Agreement
on Sh
oreline Guidelines
To: GOVERNOR-LOCKE-NEWS@listserv.wa.gov

Office of the Governor

Contacts:
Michael Marchand, Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136;
Sheryl Hutchison, Department of Ecology, 360-407-7004