The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has approved the City of Des Moines' recently updated Shoreline Master Program.
Among provisions of Des Moines' approved plan is a requirement that a minimum buffer of 115 feet be maintained from the ordinary high water mark for properties in areas designated Urban Conservancy or Shoreline Residential.

Meanwhile, Ecology has established a comment period and set a public hearing date for Burien's Shoreline Management Program update.
The comment period ends on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. The public hearing is scheduled for December 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Burien council chambers.

Following the comment period Ecology will determine if Burien's plan complies with state guideline requirements. The agency can approve it as submitted by the city, approve it with changes, or reject it.
Citizens can submit written comments and questions to: Regional Planner Bob Fritzen, 1440 10th Street, Suite 102, Bellingham, WA 98225 or email: bob.fritzen@ecy.wa.gov.

Des Moines is the first city along central Puget Sound to complete the update. About 230 towns, cities and counties around the state are - or soon will be - updating their master programs under the state's voter-approved Shorelines Management Act.

"Des Moines' updated shoreline master program provides a good example for Puget Sound communities," said Geoff Tallent, Ecology's regional supervisor for shorelands and environmental assistance. "Des Moines' program keeps homes a safe distance back from unstable slopes and protects valuable shoreline habitat."
The city last month accepted a minor change, recommended by Ecology, and the master program went into effect on November 1.

"We're pleased to have a contemporary policy and regulatory tool in place that will address issues in all of the city's shoreline areas," said Robert Ruth, Des Moines Shoreline Administrator. "Until now the city was living on 'borrowed time,' considering that the previous shoreline master program was 22 years old and did not address the Woodmont and Redondo annexation areas."
The updated Shoreline Master Program guides construction and development along the city's five miles of Puget Sound marine shorelines. It combines local plans for future development and preservation with new development ordinances and related permitting requirements.

Des Moines' shoreline program update began with a thorough inventory of existing land-use patterns and environmental conditions to preserve existing shoreline areas while protecting future economic development.
Shoreline master programs are the cornerstones of the state Shoreline Management Act, passed by voters in 1972. The programs help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses, and reduce interference with the public's access to water.

The law requires cities and counties to develop and periodically update their locally tailored shoreline programs if they have marine shorelines, lakes 20 acres in size or larger, or streams and rivers flowing at 20 cubic feet per second or greater.

The shoreline program process is designed to bring diverse local interests to the table to work together. The city collaborated for over four years with the City Planning Agency, the Environmental Committee, waterfront property owners, affected tribes, salmon recovery interests, and federal, state and local agencies.
Other key features of the updated Des Moines program include:

* Integrates shoreline regulations with the city's growth management planning and zoning, floodplain management and critical areas ordinances.
* Improves protection of habitat and water quality through regulations that apply to all Puget Sound shoreline properties in Des Moines.
* Limits construction of new shoreline armoring and encourages the use of soft-bank erosion control methods.
* Includes a restoration plan showing where and how voluntary improvements in water and upland areas can enhance the local shoreline environment.
* Helps support the broader Puget Sound initiative to protect and restore the Sound.
Ecology has final approval authority for each city and county shoreline program, which becomes part of the state Shoreline Master Program. Ecology adopted new shoreline program guidelines in 2003 that establish the basic requirements for updating local shoreline master programs. The guidelines resulted from a negotiated settlement between business interests, ports, environmental groups, shoreline user groups, cities and counties, Ecology, and the courts.

Des Moines joins a growing number of cities and towns and counties that have updated their shoreline programs using the 2003 guidelines. The state guidelines allow each town, city and county flexibility to customize their programs to fit its local land-use circumstances and vision of local waterfront development.
All of Washington's more than 260 cities and counties with regulated shorelines must update their shoreline programs by December 2014.