Ecology’s Notice of Final Action on San Juan County’s Comprehensive Shoreline Master Program Update

— from Chad Yunge, Dept of Ecology —

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is pleased to announce its final action approving the San Juan County (County) Shoreline Master Program (SMP) update. The effective date of the County’s comprehensive SMP update is October 30, 2017. Ecology will publish a notice (legal ad) that starts a 60-day appeal period. The expected date of publication in Journal of the San Juan Islands and the Islands’ Sounder legal ads is October 25, 2017.

The following correspondence regarding the recent comprehensive SMP update took place between Ecology and the County:

• July 17, 2016 – Ecology accepted the County’s locally adopted SMP update as complete for purposes of review (Ordinance No. 01-2016).
• April 5, 2017 – Ecology conditionally approved the County’s comprehensive SMP update with specific recommended changes.
• May 9, 2017 – The County sent a letter to Ecology agreeing to 42 of the recommended changes, proposing alternative language to 10 of Ecology’s changes and declining 6 of the recommended changes. Ecology informally accepted the proposed changes in a letter dated June 1, 2017
• October 4, 2017 – The County sent a letter to Ecology adopting a revised comprehensive SMP including the County’s alternative language to Ecology’s recommended changes (Ordinance 11-2017).

To review Ecology’s documents related to the San Juan comprehensive SMP update, please check Ecology’s website at: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/shorelines/smp/mycomments/SanJuanCounty.html

On Ecology’s website you will find the following key documents:

• Ecology’s final approval letter, October 17, 2017
• Ecology’s conditional approval letter, April 5, 201
• Attachment A: Findings and Conclusions
• Attachment B: Required Changes
• Attachment C: Recommended Changes
• Responsiveness Summary

If you have any questions about this SMP update, please contact me at Chad.Yunge@ecy.wa.gov or (360) 715-5206. If you would like a paper copy of Ecology’s documents or require this document in an alternative format, please contact Jackie Chandler at (360) 407-7678. Persons with hearing loss can call 711 for Washington Relay Service, and persons with speech disabilities can call 877-833-6341.