by Shelley Kneip, LWVWA Shoreline Study Committee
LWVWA has completed a study on the Washington State Shoreline Management Act (SMA). The SMA was one of the first environmental laws passed in the state and came about from a citizen initiative. The SMA applies to all areas of the state, since it covers virtually all the state’s coastal shorelines, rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands. The SMA regulates the development and uses of shorelines, and provides for public access to shorelines. It has been in effect for over 50 years and the LWVWA study analyzes how effective it has been. You can read and download the study here.
The League will use the study as the basis for the consensus process that will inform LWVWA positions on shoreline management. Each local League will have the opportunity to review the study and submit a consensus form to the board for the position statement.
The Shoreline Study Committee will be holding an informational meeting on the study on Saturday September 24 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The meeting will be through zoom and will be recorded and posted on the web.
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Photo of Padilla Bay, courtesy of the Department of Ecology.
