The City of Spokane has received final approval today from the Washington State Department of Ecology for its new Shoreline Master Program (SMP). Spokane is the first major city in Washington state to complete the required update to its shoreline plan.
The plan was signed by Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant, completing the four and a half year project to update the plan that defines activities along some 53 miles of shoreline along the Spokane River and Latah Creek.
“One of the City of Spokane’s greatest assets is the Spokane River, as it winds through our City core,” says Spokane Mayor Mary Verner. “With this plan, we are protecting this asset—along with other shorelines in our City—for future economic growth and enjoyment.”
“The Spokane River is a vital lifeline for the community and for the economy,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said. “I applaud the City of Spokane for getting the Shoreline Master Program completed so quickly, and commend them for working collaboratively on local solutions. These solutions will keep water clean and healthy and protect public access to public waters – two factors that will continue to attract people and businesses to the Inland Northwest. At the same time, it provides a roadmap for future development that protects our vital resources while providing for smart economic growth.”
Meanwhile, the City’s Acting Planning Director Jo Anne Wright extended thanks to all those who worked on the plan—including the City Council, Plan Commission, staff at the Department of Ecology, stakeholders, and citizens. The project included scores of study sessions, workshops, and public open houses to ensure citizens had ample opportunity to be heard.
“This is a significant accomplishment,” Wright says. “We are providing better access to our waterways for all citizens. Our view is a long-term one that emphasizes preserving and protecting these assets, while preserving property rights and adding recreational opportunities.”
The City received $300,000 in grants the Department of Ecology to update its shoreline plan, which was adopted in 1976 and last updated in 1982. The City completed its plan years ahead of the statutory deadline.
“This SMP embraces the Shoreline Management Act principles of improved public and visual access to our shorelines, gives priority to water-dependent development crucial to the region’s economic vitality, and sets a firm foundation for protecting the environmental resources, where people love to play, live, and work,” says Sara Hunt, who manages the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program in Spokane for the Department of Ecology.
As part of the work, the City conducted an updated inventory and analysis of all shorelines. That information has been used to determine environment designations for our shorelines and to develop goals, policies, and regulations that make up the Shoreline Master Program.
The SMP includes a shoreline restoration plan for certain areas, protects wildlife and ecological function of areas, and offers new access points for recreational users, including anglers.
Now that Ecology has approved the updated shoreline master program, it becomes part of the overall state shoreline master program. Shoreline master programs are the cornerstone of the state Shoreline Management Act passed by voters in 1972.
The original SMP was adopted in 1975. This is the first major update since then. The city has an updated Shoreline Master Program three and a half years ahead of the deadlines that have been adopted by the Washington Legislature, and will not be required to update the Shoreline Master Program again until at least 2020.
More than 70 cities and counties are currently updating their programs. Most haven’t done so comprehensively in more than 30 years. From 1978 through 2008, the state population has grown from about 3.8 million to an estimated 6.6 million people. All of Washington’s 266 cities and counties with shorelines must update their shoreline programs by December 2014.
