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SHORELINE MASTER PROGRAM - DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY APPROVAL AND RECOMMENDATIONS
COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE ADDRESSED:
Council Initiative: Provide sustainable water quality & environmental infrastructure
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: N/A
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
On January 22, 2015, the City Council approved Resolution No. 2136. This resolution authorized the Community Development Director to submit the Longview Shoreline Master Program (SMP) to the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) for their review and approval. In a letter dated July 27, 2015 to David Campbell, Ecology announced that they approved the Shoreline Master Program update. The letter is attached.
Ecology approved the SMP without requiring any modifications. Thus, the City can approve the SMP as is. However, Ecology recommended four changes. Three are for clarity purposes only (modifications to the table of contents, minor wording changes to the introduction section, and creating an Appendix B where the shoreline maps would be found).
The fourth recommendation is to update the wetland rating standards in "Appendix A Shorelines Critical Areas Regulation" to match the standards currently in Washington Administrative Code. The City is required to adopt those standards by July 1, 2017 anyway. It will be much easier to make the changes now than to go through another Shoreline Management Program update within two years of this one. The Ecology recommended changes are provided in Attachment B of the attached Ecology approval letter. City staff believes that Ecology recommendations will make the City’s SMP a better document and recommends that they be incorporated into the SMP.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Motion to incorporate the Washington State Department of Ecology recommendations into the City’s Shorelines Master Program and direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance to adopt the SMP for City Council review and approval.
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