USA: Comments Invited on Olympia Shoreline Program

A program to manage approximately 31 miles of Olympia marine and freshwater shorelines is open for public comment through the Washington Department of Ecology.

The city’s proposed shoreline program will guide development along Olympia’s marine and freshwater shorelines: Percival Creek, Black Lake Drainage Ditch, Capitol Lake, Chambers Lake, Ward Lake, Grass Lake and Ken Lake.

The locally tailored program is designed to protect the shoreline environment, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses and protect people’s access to public land and waters.

The updated program includes:

– Encourages more natural shoreline stabilization methods and limits new armoring;

– Limits overwater uses and coverage by new docks, piers and other structures;

– Establishes vegetation conservation areas to minimize habitat loss.

Ecology will host an open house followed by a public hearing. The open house begins at 6 p.m. and the hearing follows at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2014, at the Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Street NW, Olympia, WA.

Ecology and city of Olympia representatives will be available for questions.

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Press Release, July 24, 2014