Comprehensive update

The city intends to adopt the SE WA Coalition SMP to serve as the city's SMP. The city actively participated in the Coalition SMP comprehensive update process which began in 2014 and concluded in 2017. The City of Asotin's SMP was not approved by us during the comprehensive update process.

The City of Asotin, as part of the Coalition, conducted local actions for public participation and prepared additional Asotin-specific supplemental materials. The comprehensively updated Coalition SMP includes locally tailored goals, policies, regulations, environment designations, and administrative provisions to reflect current conditions and community vision for the future shoreline use and development. The updated Coalition SMP prioritizes water-oriented activities, public access, habitat protection, and ecological restoration, and allows for legal existing uses and structures to continue.

Periodic review

The SE WA Coalition's SMP comprehensive update was approved by us in 2017, The SE WA Coalition, including the City of Asotin, conducted a periodic review of that comprehensively updated SMP as required by the Shoreline Management Act in RCW 90.58.080(4). As a result of the SMP perioidic review the Coalition amended the comprehensively updated SMP to address items on our SMP perioidic review checklist and to:

• Include the City of Asotin as part of the Coalition and reference to the City of Asotin within the text.
• Add shoreline environment designation (SED) maps for the City of Asotin.
• Clarify that allowed uses and development are subject to a substantial development permit.
• Address private shoreline access.
• Add bridges to transportation provisions.
• Add preferences for compenstory mitigation locations.
• Modify the SMP administration provisions for Hearing Examiner decisions.
• Add and update definitions.

The city locally adopted the SE WA Coalition SMP, with periodic review amendments, on May 22, 2023, and submitted it to us on June 1, 2023. We determined their submittal to be complete on Aug. 9, 2023.

Following the comment period, we will compare the City of Asotin's proposed program (The SE WA Coalition SMP) to the requirements of the Shoreline Management Act and the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines. Based on the comparison, we will decide whether to:

• Approve the program as is.
• Approve with recommended changes.
• Send the proposed program back to the city with required changes to meet statutory and rule requirements. Recommended changes may also be included with the required changes.

Public comment period

Opens: Dec. 8, 2023
Closes: Jan. 8, 2024

All interested parties are invited to provide comment during this public comment period. There are several ways to provide comments, you only need to submit your comments once.

Submit written comments to:

Lennard Jordan
Washington State Department of Ecology
Central Regional Office
1250 West Alder Street
Union Gap, WA 98903
Lennard.Jordan@ecy.wa.gov

Questions? 509-406-5202

Comments must be received no later than Jan. 8, 2024.

Documents for public review and comment

Note: all documents are PDF

Locally Adopted SE WA Coalition SMP

• Resolution 2023-773
• City of Asotin SED Memorandum and Map, dated March 6, 2023
• Addendum to background documents for City of Asotin
• SMP Periodic Review Checklist

Background documents

• Inventory and Characterization
• Shoreline Restoration Plan
• Cumulative Impacts Analysis
• Public Access Plan

Next steps: response to public comment and decision

A summary of comments will be posted here a few weeks after the comment period closes. We will also post the City of Asotin's response to comments and a notice of our decision when they become available. Please check back.

For more information

The Coalition's SMP periodic review can be found at the SE Washington Coalition SMP webpage.