The Association of Washington Business and the Dept. of Ecology (DOE) have announced that a settlement has been reached regarding the shorelines management case. The agreement comes after seven years of work, which involved several rounds of rule-making, multiple legislative efforts, and countless hours of litigation.

One of the most noticeable differences in shorelines policy is the absence of the two-path approach that gave local governments an option in how they developed new shoreline master programs.

Prior to the settlement, there were two routes to file for shoreline usage. The more meticulous was axed in the final agreement.

Further policy differences include the addition of “governing principles” for interpreting how the regulations are to be applied. The principles include:

• Resource protection requirements for new shoreline uses and development.
• Establishing a principle of “no net loss of ecological functions.”
• Ensuring that restoration requirements are a function of local government planning.

   “We believe this settlement serves to protect and preserve our state’s unique shorelines but still allows reasonable commercial, industrial, and residential use,” said AWB President Don Brunell.