Comment sought on Grant County shoreline program

SPOKANE – A program to manage shorelines along six rivers and 80 lakes, including portions of the Columbia River and Banks Lake within Grant County is open for comment through the Washington Department of Ecology.

According to Ecology, the shoreline program is locally tailored and designed to help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses, and protect people’s access to public land and waters.

Grant County spearheaded a regional update process with Coulee City, Electric City, Grand Coulee, Krupp, Soap Lake, and Wilson Creek in 2011. These cities will individually submit their shoreline programs once their local adoption is complete.

After approval from Ecology, the county’s shoreline program will become part of the overall state shoreline program.

Comments will be accepted through July 18. Comments and questions should be addressed to Jaime Short, Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program, 4601 N. Monroe, Spokane, Wash. 99205, by email to jaime.short@ecy.wa.gov, or call 509-329-3411.

Grant County’s proposed shoreline program and related documents can be reviewed at:

· Ecology’s website

· Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office, 4601 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA 99205

· Grant County Planning Department, Grant County Planning Department, PO Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823

Taking public comments into consideration, Ecology may approve the proposed shoreline program as written, reject it, or identify specific modifications to meet the Shoreline Management Act and applicable state regulations.

Under Washington’s 1972 voter-approved Shoreline Management Act, Ecology must review and approve the proposed shoreline program before it takes effect. More than 150 cities and counties statewide are in the process of, or soon will be updating or creating, their shoreline programs.

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/shorelines/smp/index.html