All the pieces are nearly in place for Kitsap County residents and planners to begin examining the ecosystem at the edge of the waters encircling the Kitsap Peninsula.
Kitsap Sun photo
Oh, yes, lakes and a few streams are part of the picture.
Kitsap County commissioners last night appointed a 20-member citizen task force to take a central role in the planning effort. For the first time in county history, regulations will be based on ecosystem values. See the story I wrote for today’s Kitsap Sun listing the members.
Similar planning efforts are under way in Kitsap’s cities as well as various communities throughout the Puget Sound region. I wrote a story for the Kitsap Sun Feb. 27 regarding the effort for our cities.
In the past, shoreline regulations were based on existing land
uses. Buffers — including the current 100-foot buffer for rural
areas — were uniform throughout the entire county. Previous rules
never took into consideration the particular types of shoreline or
their ecological values. For example, an estuary with a highly
productive marsh and a stream running through it was treated
exactly the same as a rocky outcropping pounded by waves.
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