2021 Shoreline Master Program Update

State law requires jurisdictions to review and update their SMPs every eight years in accordance with the Shoreline Management Act, RCW 90.58.080 (4) and its current guidelines and legislative rules. The City of Poulsbo is undertaking a periodic review of our SMP. The City is aiming to complete the update in the spring 2021 for submittal to the Washington State Department of Ecology by end of June 2021.

This periodic update will focus on:

• Reviewing relevant legislative updates since the 2012 SMP update and incorporating any applicable amendments;
• Reviewing a list of SMP code amendments compiled since adoption in 2012 and incorporating clarifications, interpretations, and changes to address issues that have come up with shoreline projects.

This periodic update will not:

• Re-evaluate the ecological baseline that was established as part of the the 2012 SMP update;
• Extensively assess no net loss criteria other than to ensure that proposed amendments do not result in degradation of the baseline condition; or
• Change shoreline jurisdiction, environment designations, or shoreline buffers.

What is the Shoreline Master Program?

Shoreline Master Programs are local land use policies and regulations that guide the use of Washington shorelines. SMPs apply to both public and private uses. They protect natural resources for future generations, provide for public access to the shorelines, and plan for water-dependent uses. SMPs implement the 1971 Washington State Shoreline Management Act. Every local SMP is updated at regular intervals through either the Comprehensive or Periodic Update Process. Each update process follows the update rules established by the Washington State Department of Ecology.  The current SMP received final periodic update approval from Ecology in 2012, which was a comprehensive update/rewrite of the SMP. For more information about Shoreline Management, including helpful tips for shoreline property owners, see the opens in a new windowShorelines Page.

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