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Water & Shorelines > Shoreline & coastal management > Shoreline management > State-approved SMP list > Whatcom County 2019 amendment

Whatcom County 2019 amendment

We are seeking public comment on Whatcom County's proposed amendment to its Shoreline Master Program (SMP). The public comment period will run from Oct. 28 to Nov. 27, 2019, at 5 p.m.

The locally-initiated amendment amends the definition of "Hazard Tree" within the SMP to be consistent with the term as defined in other county ordinances, including the Critical Areas Ordinance (Title 16.16) and the Zoning Ordinance (Title 20).

We will compare the county's proposed program 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 County with required changes to meet statutory and rule requirements. Recommended changes may also be included with the required changes.

Public comment period

Opens: Oct. 28, 2019
Closes: Nov. 27, 2019, at 5 p.m.

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 and questions to:

Chad Yunge
Washington Department of Ecology
Bellingham Field Office
913 Squalicum Way, #101
Bellingham, WA 98225
chad.yunge@ecy.wa.gov
360-255-4374

Comments must be received no later than Nov. 27, 2019, at 5 p.m.

Documents for public review and comment

Paper copies are available for review at the following locations:

Chad Yunge, Shoreline Planner
Washington Department of Ecology
Bellingham Field Office
913 Squalicum Way #101
Bellingham, WA 98229
chad.yunge@ecy.wa.gov
360-225-4374

Cliff Strong, Senior Planner
Whatcom County
Planning and Development Services Department
5280 Northwest Drive
Bellingham, WA 98226
cstrong@co.whatcom.wa.us
360-778-5942

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 county's response to comments and notice of our decision when they become available, Please check back.