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.
Beyond beauty, shoreline
environments contain vital ecosystems. (Click to enlarge)
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. Continue reading →
Hood Canal and the Olympic
Mountains from a home on Kitsap County's shoreline.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Dale Ireland
Planning the future of Puget Sound’s shorelines is under way or
soon will be under way among most local governments in Puget
Sound.
Some counties have completed the work because of early funding
by the Legislature (King
and
Pierce) and some because they pushed ahead on their own
(Whatcom).
Some counties started early but have faced delays (Snohomish
and
Jefferson).
Kitsap County planners started early but focused their efforts
on an “inventory” of existing conditions along the entire
shoreline. That inventory, which includes prospects for habitat
restoration, could be a major tool in the update of Kitsap’s
Shoreline Master Program.
Do I need to remind anyone how contentious this issue is likely
to become in counties with substantial shorelines?
In Kitsap County, both property rights advocates and
environmental groups have already announced that they are getting
ready for a fight.
Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners came out recently with guns
ablazing: “Kitsap County is getting ready to update its shorelines
master program,” KAPO President Tim Matthes says in a postcard to
shoreline owners. “You will find very little in the news informing
property owners of changes.”
That’s an interesting comment, considering that I have already
written two stories before the process even starts. I can tell you
now that there will be plenty to write about when this issue begins
to boil.
The card also states, “County staff wants to treat every inch of
shoreline as ‘critical area.’ They want to prohibit bulkheads, ban
docks, force you to replace your gardens with ‘native’ plantings
and control what kind of trees you plant, trim or remove.”
I’ll let others respond to those specifics if they wish, but
clearly this message is designed to lead the charge into
battle.
KAPO is not the only side getting ready for a fight, however.
Beth Wilson of Kitsap Conservation Voters recently informed the
county commissioners rather forcefully during a recent “Meet the
Commissioners” forum that shoreline planning could be the most
important issue of the year among the local environmental
community.
While Kitsap County planners prepare for two years of work on
the Shoreline Master Program, cities in Kitsap County are getting
ready for updates as well. There was talk at one time of strong
collaboration between the county and the cities, but it appears
that jurisdictions are starting to drift apart. It remains unclear
whether any kind of coordination will take place.
Kitsap County Planning Commission was briefed on the upcoming
planning effort a couple of weeks ago (see
Kitsap Sun story, May 20). The county commissioners discussed
the same information today.
