Saving Bainbridge Shorelines

May 2008


People For Puget Sound and the local citizen group Bainbridge Alliance For Puget Sound are working to secure much-needed protections for the saltwater shorelines of Bainbridge Island.

When the City Council passed major revisions to the Critical Areas Ordinance in 2005, they left out protections for marine shorelines, including forage fish spawning habitat, eelgrass beds, kelp beds and shellfish areas, which comprise about 80% of the Island’s shoreline areas.  The entire nearshore of the Island has been identified as critical habitat for threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon, making better protection more important than ever. 
   
The planning commission  plans to release a draft of the updated shoreline regulations in mid-June for public review. Final adoption by the City is scheduled for sometime in September 2008. 

If we want to save our shorelines, protect our quality of life, and restore Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island residents and business owners will need to speak out and support stronger marine protections during these upcoming public comment periods.

Updating the city’s Critical Areas Protection Ordinance will:

•    Help protect and restore the water quality of Puget Sound, keeping our beaches healthy for swimming and our shellfish safe to eat.
•    Conserve fish and wildlife habitats, including forage fish spawning areas important to Endangered Salmon species and declining seabird populations.
•    Protect people and property from hazards such as unstable bluffs and storm drive waves, by maintaining protective vegetation that reduces erosion and the need for costly shoreline armoring.
•    Hold the line on further degradation of our marine shorelines until the Shoreline Master Plan update can be completed in 2009

The Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound, along with numerous co-sponsors, is presenting a public workshop to increase awareness about shoreline issues on Bainbridge Island. Learn about the state of the island's nearshore environment, stresses on it, and the role that residents play in influencing its health. The workshop is aimed at creating a more informed community and empowering individuals to be more actively engaged in decision-making about our shorelines.. 

“Island On the Edge: What’s Happening With Our Shoreline” will held on Thursday, May 22, from 7-9:00 pm at IslandWood, Great Hall, Bainbridge Island. Refreshments provided

Speakers/Topics:   
Tom Mumford, Washington Dept. of Natural Resources: Eelgrass and kelp; status and trends, importance, impacts of various human practices, potential solutions and recommendations.

Casey Rice, National Marine Fisheries Service: Puget Sound fisheries, life history and habitat requirements.

Jim Brennan, Washington Sea Grant: Overview of nearshore, geographical/geological processes, linkages between habitats and species, upland and aquatic systems (riparian functions), status and trends.

Co-Sponsors:

Bainbridge Island Watershed Council, Bainbridge Conservation Voters, People For Puget Sound, Puget Sound Partnership, Washington Sea Grant, Puget Sound Restoration Fund, Sustainable Bainbridge, the Natural Landscapes Project and Oysters for Salmon.

For more information on the workshops, or to get involved in supporting strong marine protections, contact Rein Attemann at (206) 382-7007.