Forks SMP Comprehensive Update and Periodic Review

The city has adopted the Clallam County (County) SMP (2021) as the comprehensive update and periodic review amendment. This will entirely replace the city’s reliance on the county’s 1976 program, including the goals, policies, regulations, shoreline environment designations, and administrative procedures and definitions prepared during a collaborative process with the county. The locally-tailored provisions reflect current conditions and community vision for future shoreline use and development. The city actively participated in the county SMP update process for WRIA 20, conducted other local actions for public participation, and prepared additional Forks-specific supplemental materials. 

The SMP applies to approximately two miles of shoreline jurisdiction along portions of the Bogachiel River, Calawah River, Elk Creek, and Mill Creek within the city's limits. Shorelines located in the Forks UGA and WRIA 20 are managed by the county. The updated SMP prioritizes water-oriented activities, public access, habitat protection, and ecological restoration, and allows for legal existing uses and structures to continue. The periodic review provisions are based on recent changes to statute and rule, and address minor issues regarding fish passage and ADA retrofit permit exemptions, definitions, local review and permit filing procedures, nonconforming use and development, and transportation project review. Both the comprehensive update and periodic review are mandated by RCW 90.58.080. 

As part of the concurrent county SMP update process, and through additional actions taken specific to City of Forks, multiple opportunities for public participation were provided to ensure all stakeholders and interested parties had a meaningful chance to be involved. There were numerous public events and the city conducted two rounds of public comment period with public hearing, in April 2018 and June 2021, prior to local adoption.

We held a state comment period Feb. 7 - March 10, 2022. Mail and email notices were used to notify state and city identified interested parties of the public comment period. A separate invitation to comment and consult Government to Government, as necessary, was provided to the Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and Quileute Tribes on Jan. 31, 2022. No comments were received on the city’s proposed adoption of the Clallam SMP.

Documents for public review and comment

• Ecology's Nov. 22, 2022 Final Approval Letter
  • Attachment A: Findings and Conclusions
• Locally adopted SMP
  • Ordinance 656
  • Appendix A: Shoreline Environment Designation (SED) Map No. 34 - Forks
• Backgroud documents
  • WRIA 20 Inventory and Characterization
  • Shoreline Restoration Plan
  • Cumulative Impacts Analysis - No Net Loss Report

If you have trouble accessing these documents, please contact Michelle McConnell.

Appeals

• Per RCW 90.58.190(2), an interested party may file an appeal with the Growth Management Hearings Board within 60 days of the publication date of our written notice of final action.
• We plan to publish the notice of final action in the Forks Forum legal ads on Dec. 15, 2022.