Citizens Praise Decision to Scrap Shoreline Regulations

Washington Citizens for a Sound Economy today praised the Shoreline Hearings Board for scrapping controversial shoreline management rules put into place last year.

“This is great news for citizens throughout the state,” said Gary Strannigan, Director of Washington CSE. “The shoreline rules were a poster child for regulatory excess that trampled fundamental property rights.”

The rules mandated – at a minimum – 200-foot setbacks from rivers, streams, lakes, and oceanfront throughout Washington. Within this zone, property owners who wanted to put an addition onto a home build an ordinary dock, or just clear unwanted weeds from their yard would have faced stringent regulation from the Department of Ecology. “These rules basically told land owners to just stay the heck off their own property,” Strannigan noted.

The Shoreline Hearings Board found that, while there was a need to protect Washington’s shorelines, the Department of Ecology had overstepped its authority and failed to consider the impact on small businesses. “That’s something of an understatement,” mused Strannigan. “We all want to keep our waterways clean, and we have come a long way over the past 30 years. However, in drafting the shoreline rules, DOE essentially granted itself master zoning authority over most of the state.”

The Department of Ecology may challenge the Hearings Board’s decision in court. Barring a successful challenge, they will likely draft a new set of rules. “Let’s hope DOE uses a little more common-sense and little less arrogance when, or if, they issue new rules,” concluded Strannigan.