Pierce County Shoreline Master Program: Locally Initiated Amendment

On July 30, 2025, we provided changes to Pierce County on their locally initiated amendment to their shoreline master program (SMP).

The required and recommended changes are based on our review of whether the proposed amendment complies with state laws and rules, and a public comment period held Feb. 10 to March 13, 2025.

Email notices were used to notify those who had expressed prior interest. No comments were received.

The required and recommended changes have been sent to the County for their review and response. The County may agree to these changes or offer alternative language. Final approval will occur when we have reached agreement with the County on language that meets state requirements.

The locally initiated amendment was adopted by Pierce County Council on Dec. 10, 2024. The amendment is intended to align the SMP with recent and concurrent changes to the County’s critical areas regulations. The County adopted an updated critical areas ordinance (CAO) on Dec. 3, 2024. The proposed SMP amendment incorporates by reference this new CAO for application in shoreline jurisdiction. Our changes focus on ensuring the incorporated critical areas regulations are consistent with the SMP Guidelines and function as intended when implemented through the SMP.