WAC 332-30-107   Aquatic land planning.  Subsection (4) of this section shall not apply to port districts managing aquatic lands under a management agreement (WAC 332-30-114).

     (1) Multiple use. The aquatic lands of Washington are a limited and finite resource. Management of these lands will allow for multiple use by compatible activities to the greatest extent feasible.

     (2) Planning objectives. Aquatic land management will strive for the best combination of aquatic uses to achieve the goals in WAC 332-30-100. Planning should allow for a variety of uses and activities, such as navigation; public use; production of food; energy; minerals and chemicals; and improvement of aquatic plant and animal habitat, occurring simultaneously or seasonally on state-owned aquatic lands.

     (3) Shoreline management. The Shoreline Management Act and shoreline master program planning, together with supplemental planning as described in subsection (5) of this section, will be the primary means for identifying and providing appropriate uses of statewide value.

     (4) Coordination. Coordination with shoreline management programs will be accomplished by:

     (a) Identifying aquatic land areas of particular statewide value for public access, habitat and water-dependent and renewable resource use.

     (b) Informing appropriate shoreline planning bodies of the location and particular value of aquatic lands identified in (a) of this subsection.

     (c) Participating in shoreline planning and suggesting ways to incorporate and balance statewide values.

     (d) Proposing to the appropriate local jurisdiction that shoreline plans be updated when new information concerning statewide values becomes available or when existing plans do not adequately address statewide values.

     (5) Supplemental planning. The department (for aquatic lands not covered under port management agreements) or port districts (for aquatic lands managed under port management agreements) may supplement the shoreline master program planning process with management plans necessary to meet the constitutional and statutory proprietary responsibilities for state-owned aquatic lands. Plans developed and implemented under this subsection will involve aquatic lands, resources, and activities requiring intensive management, special protection, or conflict resolution and will be developed when these needs are not provided for by shoreline master program planning. Aquatic land uses and activities implemented through this supplemental planning process will be consistent with adopted shoreline master programs and the Shoreline Management Act. Planning activities will be closely coordinated with local, state, and federal agencies having jurisdiction and public participation will be encouraged.

     (6) Mitigation. Shoreline master program planning and additional planning processes described in subsection (5) of this section will be the preferred means for identifying and mitigating adverse impacts on resources and uses of statewide value. In the absence of such planning directed to these values and uses, the department (for aquatic lands not covered under port management agreements) or port districts (for aquatic lands managed under port management agreements) will mitigate unacceptable adverse impacts on a case-by-case basis by the following methods in order of preference:

     (a) Alternatives will be sought which avoid all adverse impacts.

     (b) When avoidance is not practical, alternatives shall be sought which cause insignificant adverse impacts.

     (c) Replace, preferably on-site, impacted resources and uses of statewide value. It must be demonstrated that these are capable of being replaced.

     (d) Payment for lost value, in lieu of replacement, may be accepted from the aquatic land user in limited cases where an authorized use reduces the economic value of offsite resources, for example, bacterial pollution of nearby shellfish beds.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 79.90.105, 79.90.300, 79.90.455, 79.90.460, 79.90.470, 79.90.475, 79.90.520, 79.68.010, 79.68.68 [79.68.080], and chapter 79.93 RCW. 85-22-066 (Resolution No. 500), § 332-30-107, filed 11/5/85. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.30.150. 80-09-005 (Order 343), § 332-30-107, filed 7/3/80.]