The Act establishes a broad policy giving preference to uses that:
The Shoreline Act establishes a balance of authority between local and state government. Cities and counties are the primary regulators but the state has authority to review local programs and permit decisions. The State's authority is housed in the Department of Ecology.
Under the Act each city and county adopts a shoreline master program that is based on state guidelines but tailored to the specific geographic, economic and environmental needs of the community. Master programs provide policies and regulations addressing shoreline use and protection as well as a permit system for administering the program.
Ecology's role is to provide technical assistance to local government and to assure that local government actions are consistent with the local programs and the overall policy of the Act.
The Act strongly supports public involvement in shoreline decision making. Citizens participate on advisory boards preparing local master programs, and public comment is required for individual permits.
The Shorelines Hearings Board is a quasi-judicial body made up of six members representing citizen interests. Any aggrieved party may appeal a shoreline permit decision to the Shorelines Hearings Board.
Decisions regarding approval of shoreline programs may be appealed to the appropriate regional Growth Hearings Board (if the jurisdiction is planning under the Growth Management Act), or the Shorelines Hearings Board (if the jurisdiction is not planning under the Growth Management Act).
The Shoreline Act applies to:
and the following areas when they are associated with one of the above:
The Shoreline Act also states that "the interests of all the people shall be paramount in the management of shorelines of statewide significance." These shorelines are defined in the Act as:
See http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=173-20&full=true for information on lakes covered by the SMA.