How is the Shoreline Master Program update related to Fife’s Critical Areas Ordinance?
A recent state Supreme Court decision (Futurewise v. Anacortes) stated that the shoreline master program solely regulates the shorelines and critical areas covered by the program, once the Department of Ecology approves it. Rather than repeat the work local governments have already done developing their critical areas ordinances under the state Growth Management Act, relevant portions of existing critical areas ordinances may be placed in updated shoreline master programs under the Shoreline Management Act.
