FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seattle, WA Jul 31, 2008

The Washington Supreme Court issued a decision today that is likely to significantly delay Puget Sound recovery.

In a 5-4 decision, the majority interpreted the legislature’s adoption of ESHB 1933 in 2003 to mean that critical areas within the jurisdiction of the Shoreline Management Act shall be governed by shoreline master programs, rather than the Growth Management Act and critical areas ordinances.

This ruling will potentially delay shoreline critical area protections until local governments update their shoreline master programs between 2009-2014. In response to the Supreme Court decision, the City of Bainbridge Island is already recommending that council adoption of protections for marine shorelines be delayed until the next update of their shoreline master programs, scheduled for 2011.

Waiting four years to protect our shoreline resources will result in further degradation of habitat and water quality, moving Puget Sound farther away from the state’s recovery’s goal.

“This surprising interpretation makes it that much tougher to save Puget Sound by 2020,” said Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director of People For Puget Sound. “The Puget Sound Partnership needs to address this issue right away.”

According to Fletcher, best available science shows that protecting our shorelines and the nearshore zone protects water quality, as well as salmon, forage fish, eelgrass beds, and shellfish beds that are important to the food web, our economy, and our future.

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Contact: Kathy Fletcher, (206) 382-7007; Cyrilla Cook, (206) 382-7007