Grays Harbor County is holding it's final public workshop on the draft update to the county’s shoreline master program (SMP). Shoreline master programs contain policies and regulations to manage rivers, lakes, streams, and marine waters and the adjacent land.
Attend the final open house:
September 15th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Ocosta Recreational Hall, 1682 State Route 105, Aberdeen.
Comment on the Shoreline Master Program Update
Attend the workshops and comment on the SMP update. The SMP update is better than the existing SMP, so we recommend you support the update. However, improvements are needed. We recommend that the SMP update should:
- Better protect people and property from sea level rise and storm surges. New lots and new buildings should be located outside of areas likely to be inundated by sea level rise and storm surges.
- Retain the native vegetation that protects water quality, reduces erosion, and protects fish, shellfish, and wildlife. The SMP update should better protect native vegetation by including areas of significant native vegetation in the “Natural” shoreline environment and require retention of native vegetation along shorelines.
- Improve protections for critical saltwater habitats. Critical salt water habitats are highly productive marine habitats such as kelp beds, eelgrass beds, spawning and holding areas for forage fish such as herring, and commercial and recreational shellfish beds. The SMP update should protect these areas from adverse impacts.
You can find a copy of the current version of SMP Update here: http://ghcsmp.org/Library/GHCo%20Draft%20SMP%2008-03-16.pdf
If you cannot attend the workshops, you can comment by email at: GHCSMP@gmail.com