40.460.130 Purpose and Intent

Clark County prepared this Program to meet the requirements of the Act. This Program provides goals, policies, and regulations for shoreline use and protection. The goals, policies, and regulations contained herein are tailored to the specific geographic, economic, and environmental needs of Clark County.

The purpose of this Program is:

A.    To guide the future development of shorelines in the county in a positive, effective, and equitable manner consistent with the Act;

B.    To promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community by providing long range, comprehensive policies and effective, reasonable regulations for development and use of the county’s shorelines; and

C.    To ensure, at minimum, no net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes and to plan for restoring shorelines that have been impaired or degraded by adopting and fostering the following policy contained in RCW 90.58.020, Legislative findings for shorelines of the state:

“It is the policy of the state to provide for the management of the shorelines of the state by planning for and fostering all reasonable and appropriate uses. This policy is designed to insure the development of these shorelines in a manner, which, while allowing for limited reduction of rights of the public in the navigable waters, will promote and enhance the public interest. This policy contemplates protecting against adverse effects to the public health, the land and its vegetation and wildlife, and the waters of the State and their aquatic life, while protecting generally public rights of navigation and corollary rights incidental thereto...

In the implementation of this policy the public’s opportunity to enjoy the physical and aesthetic qualities of natural shorelines of the State shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible consistent with the overall best interest of the State and the people generally. To this end uses shall be preferred which are consistent with control of pollution and prevention of damage to the natural environment or are unique to or dependent upon use of the State’s shoreline. Alterations of the natural condition of the shorelines of the State, in those limited instances when authorized, shall be given priority for single family residences, ports, shoreline recreational uses including but not limited to parks, marinas, piers, and other improvements facilitating public access to shorelines of the State, industrial and commercial developments which are particularly dependent on their location on or use of the shorelines of the State, and other development that will provide an opportunity for substantial numbers of the people to enjoy the shorelines of the State.

Permitted uses in the shorelines of the State shall be designed and conducted in a manner to minimize, insofar as practical, any resultant damage to the ecology and environment of the shoreline area and any interference with the public’s use of the water.”

(Added: Ord. 2012-07-16)