Shoreline Permitting, Uncloaked and Without the Daggers

The permitting of shoreline projects is often seen by private property owners as a complicated, time consuming, expensive (and even scary) task which requires more effort than the actual project construction itself. These issues can cause property owners to avoid important shoreline restoration projects such as the removal of hard armor bulkheads and other coastal structures. In addition, the above issues can lead to private property owners pursuing unpermitted shoreline modifications resulting in the degradation of the ecosystem as well as the risk of substantial expense in the form of fines and/or the requirement to undo or properly permit the project. Often the culprit of these unpermitted activities is the uneducated homeowner who with desire to protect their shoreline property takes matters into their own hands or hires a contractor willing to construct shoreline modifications without the proper permits. Understanding a land parcel is an important step prior to a project in order to understand what types of project impacts will be permittable and what agencies will be involved. This can include research into the land use zoning, shoreline designation, critical areas, conservation and other restrictive overlays, land use history, and jurisdictional boundaries. Professional consultants in the areas of geology/geomorphology, coastal engineering, and biological sciences can be contracted to provide more detailed information as well recommend projects the will accomplish the property owner’s goal of restoration or protection. Because each local county or city jurisdiction in the Salish Sea varies in its permit requirements, interpretations of state law, and permit approval process, there is not a single quick map to approval. This poster will graphically and simply show the steps for the permitting environment and process and how they vary between jurisdictions and government agencies