Shoreline planners toolbox

Administration of Shoreline Master Programs

Shoreline master programs are locally tailored land use policies and development regulations that implement the state Shoreline Management Act. They are:

• Adopted by local governments
• Reviewed and approved by Ecology

Shoreline master programs are both state and local planning and regulatory documents representing a unique partnership between Ecology and local governments. Local governments review and issue a decision on all shoreline permits before filing them with us. We file all permits and make final decisions on locally approved conditional use and variance permits.

Each shoreline master program contains elements that are required by statute and rule, such as:

• Shoreline environment designations (SEDs) with customized management policies, regulations, and use allowances/prohibitions
• Policies and regulations for shoreline uses, modifications, and development
• Vegetation conservation standards
• Public access requirements
• Shoreline buffers and/or setbacks
• Critical areas protection standards

Once a local government comprehensively updates its shoreline master program, local administrators ensure compliance with state law through the careful and complete implementation of the shoreline master program during the day-to-day review of individual development proposals. The following guidance documents are intended to help local governments implement their SMPs consistent with the SMA and state rules:

• Shoreline permits and enforcement
• Shoreline permitting manual
• Shoreline no net loss and mitigation
  • NNL analysis and mitigation plan (checklist)
  • Design techniques for avoiding and minimizing shoreline buffer impacts (checklist)
  • DIY as-built mitigation report (template)
  • DIY mitigation monitoring report (template)
• Variance permit reviews
• Conditional use permit reviews
• Regulatory relief requests resulting from restoration projects (RCW 90.58.580)
• Focus on: Mooring buoys
• Focus on: On-site sewage systems and shoreline management
• Focus on: Emergency exemptions for residential shorelines stabilization and flood protection

Shoreline permit filing

All shoreline permits must be filed with Ecology and have a 21-day state appeal period. You can email shoreline permits to smp@ecy.wa.gov. While we still accept mailed submittals, we prefer email. Make sure your email contains a complete submittal following the requirements of WAC 173-27-130 and WAC 173-27-180, including the permit data sheet.

Note: We will email you confirmation within five days for a shoreline substantial development permit submittal. If you do not receive an email confirmation within five days, contact your shoreline permit reviewer. For conditional use permits and variances, we try to finish our review and issue a decision within 30 days of receiving your complete submittal.

Grants

We previously offered two separate shoreline planning grant programs: 

• A non-competitive formula grant offered to local governments to complete periodic reviews of their shoreline master programs as required by law.  
• A competitive grant program intended to provide more flexible funding to local governments for locally driven, priority shoreline planning efforts. 

During the 2025-27 biennium, we are undergoing rulemaking, seeking to amend the state’s shoreline management rules to establish new sea level-rise planning requirements for local shoreline master programs, required by state law, and provide clarity around issues related to shoreline master program permitting, amendments, enforcement and approvals. 

We wanted to provide this update about our ability to award the shoreline planning grants from our operating budget during the 2025-27 state biennium. 

Unfortunately, a projected shortfall in revenue generated by the state Hazardous Substance Tax has resulted in a budget deficit in Ecology’s largest funding account this biennium. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to pause the shoreline planning grant program indefinitely.  

For 2025-27 biennium, our grant budget has been reduced from $3.2 million to $1.5 million. Instead of providing individual grants, we intend to use these funds to support sea level rise vulnerability data collection and evaluations that can be used by multiple jurisdictions. 

This revised approach will improve efficiency, maximize available funds and equitably benefit communities.