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Sequim This
Week

Path: HOME
» NEWS

$1 million federal grant to pay for update of Clallam County
shoreline master plan

By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News

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PORT ANGELES -- Clallam County has received a $1
million federal grant to update its shoreline planning document -- and to lay
the groundwork for other jurisdictions to follow suit.

The three county
commissioners on Tuesday approved a $999,915 grant from the Environmental
Protection Agency to integrate the concept of "no net loss of ecological
functions" for the state-mandated update to the county's 18-year-old Shoreline
Master Program.

Congratulations

John Miller, Clallam County
Department of Community Development director, congratulated Planning Manager
Steve Gray and Habitat Biologist Cathy Lear for negotiating the agreement with
the EPA.

Gray, Lear and other county staffers will be heavily involved in
a three-year effort to take inventory of 800 miles of marine and freshwater
shorelines, and to incorporate public input and technical data to draft new
regulations for shoreline uses.

"Other jurisdictions throughout Puget
Sound are looking to us because this [grant] is going to help define no net
loss, which is a requirement of the Shoreline Master Program updates," Miller
said.

Clallam County will administer the grant on behalf of two partner
agencies -- Jefferson County and the state Department of
Ecology.

Shoreline programs are a requirement of the 1972 Shoreline
Management Act, which is intended to "prevent the inherent harm in an
uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the state's shorelines," Ecology
officials say.

Stages in plans

While Clallam County is in
the early phases of its Shoreline Master Program update -- commissioners here
approved a public participation strategy in March -- Jefferson County adopted a
shoreline plan last year and sent it to Ecology for review and
approval.

"So the idea is that by getting this grant, we'll have two
jurisdictions that are in different places and come up with some best practices
that can then be used throughout the basin," said Clallam County Commissioner
Steve Tharinger, who was appointed by the Puget Sound Partnership's leadership
council to represent the Strait of Juan de Fuca action area on the Ecosystem
Coordination Board.

"I think this is really a good example of building
partnerships within the basin to sort of control costs and be more effective on
how to manage our shorelines."

Tharinger said U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks,
D-Belfair, was "instrumental" in securing the EPA funds. Dicks represents the
6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic
Peninsula.

"As an action area, this grant is a combination of Jefferson
and Clallam County, and John Miller is right, a number of other jurisdictions
within the Puget Sound basin are looking to us to answer some questions,"
Tharinger said during Tuesday's commissioners' meeting.

"It speaks well
to the Puget Sound Partnership and to our action area."

Ecology requires
all incorporated cities and all 39 counties to update their shoreline programs
by 2014.

The other action areas of the partnership are San Juan/Whatcom,
Whidbey, North Central Puget Sound, South Central Puget Sound, South Puget Sound
and Hood Canal.

In receiving the grant, Tharinger said the Strait of Juan
de Fuca action area demonstrated that the jurisdictions here can work together
to implement the shoreline updates.

________

Reporter Rob
Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at [email-masked].

Last modified: August 04. 2010 12:18AM

Reader Comments

Comments:

Posted by Craig
Durgan on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, 8:29 pm Pacific Time. (report
abuse)

Why does the Clallam County DCD think it can define "no net
loss"? It should be the state Legislature that does this. It is bad enough that
a state agency, namely the Department of Ecology can write its own rules which
have the force of law. But, now a county agency is doing the same. What happened
to our elected representatives passing laws and then having to face the voters?
Now we have a bunch of faceless bureaucrats passing law. Completely despicable
this is.

Posted by Jim
Boyer on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, 8:00 pm Pacific Time. (report
abuse)

That's not all...

This is a slippery slope. Taking
property from those who live near water only opens the door. What happens when
they want control of your property for some arcane reason? Will someone be
around to fight for you if you are not willing to stand up for your fellow
citizens now?

Understand this: "Setbacks" are civil protections made to
benefit everyone. "Buffers" are government control of private property using a
new terminology to avoid being judged a "TAKING"

Now; Watch and listen.
Then, GET INVOLVED!

Posted by Jim
Boyer on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, 7:54 pm Pacific Time. (report
abuse)

People in Clallam County should listen closely and follow
every step made during this process. In Jefferson County our project was steered
by a select group of self serving interests and the Department of Ecology which
was using our tax money to fund a decision that is going to injure many of the
residents; both along waters and away from them.

Mark my words: you are
up against a well funded machine that is out to take your land and your rights
in an orchestrated effort that the media will play off as being for your
benefit.

Ten or twenty people at a meeting to make comments will be
pushed aside like dry leaves on the side walk.

If you believe in the
right to own and improve private property; and you believe in the civil
protections granted in our constitution, you need to get everyone you know
involved in watching how your government is about to go to work to destroy what
you have worked for, fought for and paid taxes for.

--- And to all you
folks who don't live near water and think you have no dog in this fight; THINK
AGAIN!

You will be assessed at a higher rate to compensate for any lost
property value resulting in the loss to you neighbors on the water. That's not
all...

Posted by Randy
Dutton on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, 11:02 am Pacific Time. (report
abuse)

Another $ million borrowed from China for a project that is
less than critical to the survival of America.

Remember, we have to pay
China back, plus interest.

Posted by Concerned Citizen on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, 1:11 am
Pacific Time. (report
abuse)

Isn't this grant and no-net-loss idea a mission of the
Puget Sound component of the county? Waters/shorelines of the Strait? Didn't
think this grant had to do with the shorelines of the Pacific coastline or those
waters. If it really doesn't, is the county still going to apply the same Puget
Sound mission to the west end? When is the county going to even talk to the west
end?Their web site says they have a public particapation plan in affect but
looks like they've only met with the Forks Chamber. I don't think that's being
very well in touch.

I'd be congradulating staff too if they got me a
million dollars. How much of that will see the light of day on the west end. If
it means no-net-loss is forced on our shoulders then keep it in the east end and
let them live with the results.

Posted by Concerned Citizen on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, 1:10 am
Pacific Time. (report
abuse)

Isn't this grant and no-net-loss idea a mission of the
Puget Sound component of the county? Waters/shorelines of the Strait? Didn't
think this grant had to do with the shorelines of the Pacific coastline or those
waters. If it really doesn't, is the county still going to apply the same Puget
Sound mission to the west end? When is the county going to even talk to the west
end?Their web site says they have a public particapation plan in affect but
looks like they've only met with the Forks Chamber. I don't think that's being
very well in touch.

I'd be congradulating staff too if they got me a
million dollars. How much of that will see the light of day on the west end. If
it means no-net-loss is forced on our shoulders then keep it in the east end and
let them live with the results.

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