Department of Ecology will take public comments on Chelan County’s proposed Shoreline Master Program through May 16th.

Information Supplied by The Department of Ecology

A comprehensive guide for land uses and developments along 1,500 miles of shorelines with Chelan County is now available for public review and comment through the Washington Department of Ecology.

In December 2017 the Chelan County Commissioners approved a revised Shoreline Master Program – concluding the County process that has been ongoing for over 10 years. The new Chelan County Shoreline Master Program (SMP) reflects the local vision for appropriate shoreline development, public shoreline access, and environmental protection as required by the state Shoreline Management Act.

The master program represents a major overhaul of the county’s original SMP first adopted in 1975 and last amended in 1997. During the past 40 years, there have been significant changes in state regulations and local land use policies within the county prompting a major update.

Beginning in 2008, the county and many of its cities conducted workshops to capture citizen questions, concerns, goals and aspirations regarding shoreline uses, development and protection. Specifically, the process considered buffers, channel migration zone regulations and shoreline stabilization, along with local goals and policies.

Ecology will review the county’s proposed SMP to ensure it meets state laws and regulations to determine whether to:

· Approve the program as is.

· Approve the program with recommended changes

· Send the proposed program back to the county with required changes to meet statutory and rule requirements. Recommended changes may also be included with the required changes.

The revised Shoreline Master Plan and supporting documents are available for review at the Department of Ecology website

The Dept of Ecology is accepting public comment on the proposed SMP until 5 p.m. on May 16, 2018, by going to the same link above. Questions may be directed by mail to Leonard Jordan of the Dept of Ecology at 1250 W. Alder Street, Union Gap, WA 98903; by telephone to 509-454-3619 or by email at [email protected]