Greener Shorelines through Non-Regulatory Approaches: Green Shores for Homes

This presentation will describe the purpose and overall development of a non-regulatory program to promote healthier shorelines called Green Shores for Homes. The theory behind the use of this voluntary approach will be discussed starting with a discussion about how programs such as BuiltGreen and LEED have changed the way builders and homeowners approach environmentally appropriate design. This will provide the framework for understanding the development of a system for shoreline development focusing on coastal processes, habitat, water quality and opportunities for stewardship. By use of a credit-based system projects along the shoreline can assess how well they are developing a project in order to address critical preservation and restoration of the fragile shoreline environment while addressing concerns of a shoreline homeowner about erosion control or vegetation management. Examples will be provided demonstrating how this system has worked with bulkhead designers and homeowners throughout the Salish Sea to pilot this program as well as efforts working with state agencies to promote the concepts. This presentation will provide the background about the Green Shore for Homes to support subsequent presentations in this session about how the program has been implemented