Washington Administrative Code › Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508) › Chapter 173-26 - State master program approval/amendment procedures and master program guidelines › Part III - GUIDELINES › Section 173-26-176 - General policy goals of the act and guidelines for shorelines of the state

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) The
				guidelines are designed to assist local governments in developing, adopting,
				and amending master programs that are consistent with the policy and provisions
				of the act. Thus, the policy goals of the act are the policy goals of the
				guidelines. The policy goals of the act are derived from the policy statement
				of RCW
				90.58.020 and the description of the elements
				to be included in master programs under
				RCW
				90.58.100.
(2) The policy goals for the management of
				shorelines harbor potential for conflict. The act recognizes that the
				shorelines and the waters they encompass are "among the most valuable and
				fragile" of the state's natural resources. They are valuable for economically
				productive industrial and commercial uses, recreation, navigation, residential
				amenity, scientific research and education. They are fragile because they
				depend upon balanced physical, biological, and chemical systems that may be
				adversely altered by natural forces (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
				landslides, storms, droughts, floods) and human conduct (industrial,
				commercial, residential, recreation, navigational). Unbridled use of shorelines
				ultimately could destroy their utility and value. The prohibition of all use of
				shorelines also could eliminate their human utility and value. Thus, the policy
				goals of the act relate both to utilization and protection of the extremely
				valuable and vulnerable shoreline resources of the state. The act calls for the
				accommodation of "all reasonable and appropriate uses" consistent with
				"protecting against adverse effects to the public health, the land and its
				vegetation and wildlife, and the waters of the state and their aquatic life"
				and consistent with "public rights of navigation." The act's policy of
				achieving both shoreline utilization and protection is reflected in the
				provision that "permitted uses in the shorelines of the state shall be designed
				and conducted in a manner to minimize, in so far as practical, any resultant
				damage to the ecology and environment of the shoreline area and the public's
				use of the water."
				RCW
				90.58.020.
(3) The act's policy of protecting ecological
				functions, fostering reasonable utilization and maintaining the public right of
				navigation and corollary uses encompasses the following general policy goals
				for shorelines of the state. The statement of each policy goal is followed by
				the statutory language from which the policy goal is derived.
(a)
The utilization of shorelines for
				economically productive uses that are particularly dependent on shoreline
				location or use.
RCW
				  90.58.020:
"
The legislature finds that the shorelines of the
				  state are among the most valuable and fragile of its natural resources and that
				  there is great concern throughout the state relating to their utilization,
				  protection, restoration and preservation
."
"
It is the policy of the state to provide for the
				  management of the shorelines by planning for and fostering all reasonable and
				  appropriate uses
."
"
Uses shall be preferred which are. . .unique to or
				  dependent upon use of the state's shoreline
."
"
Alterations of the natural condition of the
				  shorelines of the state, in those limited instances when authorized, shall be
				  given priority for single-family residences and their appurtenant structures,
				  ports, shoreline recreational uses including but not limited to parks, marinas,
				  piers, and other improvements facilitating public access to shorelines of the
				  state, industrial and commercial developments which are particularly dependent
				  on their location on or use of the shorelines of the state and other
				  development that will provide an opportunity for substantial numbers of the
				  people to enjoy the shorelines of the state
."
RCW
				  90.58.100:
(2)
The master programs shall
				include, when appropriate, the following:
(a)
An economic development element
				for the location and design of industries, transportation facilities, port
				facilities, tourist facilities, commerce and other developments that are
				particularly dependent on their location on or use of the shorelines of the
				state;. . .
(d)
A
				circulation element consisting of the general location and extent of existing
				and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, and other
				public utilities and facilities, all correlated with the shorelines use
				element.
(e)
A
				use element which considers the proposed general distribution and general
				location and extent of the use on shorelines and adjacent land areas for
				housing, business, industry, transportation, agriculture, natural resources,
				recreation, education, public buildings and grounds, and other categories of
				public and private uses of the land
;. . ."