Property Tax Search
Home › Comp Plans › Whatcom County › Chapter 11 - Shorelines
Whatcom County · WC-CP-2021 · Pages 1-48

Chapter 11 - Shorelines

Chapter 11 constitutes Whatcom County's Shoreline Management Program (SMP), implementing the Washington State Shoreline Management Act across more than 130 miles of marine shoreline, 60 miles of lake shoreline, and 220 miles of stream channels. The chapter establishes nine overarching goals and hundreds of policies organized around shoreline environment designations (Urban, Rural, Conservancy, Natural, Aquatic, etc.) and specific use types (agriculture, aquaculture, marinas, commercial, industrial, residential, restoration, transportation, utilities, and more). Its central commitment is to ensure no net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes while balancing water-dependent economic uses, public access, recreation, and habitat conservation.

Shorelines Environment Economy Governance Social

“Only 7 of 220 Chapter 11 - Shorelines policies (3%) include a concrete, measurable commitment.” Real Record SAY vs DO analysis · Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan

About this analysis

Real Record applies the SAY vs DO accountability framework to every chapter of every Washington comprehensive plan we publish. Each policy in the chapter is read individually and scored into one of four buckets:

  • Measurable — the policy names a specific target, deadline, dollar amount, or action that can be verified later.
  • Strong — binding action language (“shall,” “will adopt,” “require”) without a measurable threshold.
  • Aspirational — encouraging or supportive language (“encourage,” “support,” “consider”) with no enforcement.
  • Monitor only — policies that commit to tracking or reporting but not to action.

The accountability score shown in the sidebar is the share of policies in the chapter that landed in the “Measurable” bucket. A score of 0–19 (red) indicates most policies use aspirational language without concrete accountability; 20–49 (orange) is mixed; 50 or higher (green) means the chapter is dominated by measurable commitments.

The underlying text comes from the official adopted comprehensive plan published by the Whatcom County planning department. Scoring is performed by Real Record analysts using a structured rubric; the raw policy text and bucket assignments are archived in the Real Record civic data warehouse.

Read the full methodology, sources, and rubric at Real Record · About.

What the Plan Promises
Formal targets adopted in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan.
Limit industrial piers at Cherry Point to existing three piers in operation or approved as of January 1, 1998; no net loss of shoreline ecological functions as baseline set February 27, 2007
Goals (9 total)
  • Goal 11A: Create and maintain an economic environment that can coexist harmoniously with the natural and human environment.
  • Goal 11B: Increase the general public's ability to reach, touch, and enjoy the water's edge and view the shoreline; protect private rights, public safety, and ecological functions.
  • Goal 11C: Provide opportunities and space for diverse forms of water-oriented recreation.
  • Goal 11D: Provide transportation systems and essential public facilities in shoreline areas without adverse effects on existing use, development, or ecological functions/processes.
  • Goal 11E: Preserve and develop shorelines in a manner that allows for an orderly balance of uses.
  • Goal 11F: Conserve shoreline resources and important shoreline features, and protect shoreline ecological functions and the processes that sustain them to the maximum extent practicable.
  • Goal 11G: Protect shoreline features of historic, cultural, archeological, or scientific value through coordination with appropriate authorities including affected Indian tribes.
  • Goal 11H: Assure that the public's ability and opportunity to enjoy shoreline views and aesthetics is protected.
  • Goal 11I: Reestablish, rehabilitate, and/or otherwise improve impaired shoreline ecological functions and/or processes through voluntary and incentive-based programs consistent with the SMP Restoration Plan.
Stronger Policy Language (90 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 11U-1: Shoreline use and development should be carried out in a manner that prevents or mitigates adverse impacts so that the resulting ecological condition does not become worse than the current condition, assuring no net loss of ecological functions and processes.
  • Policy 11F-1: Maintain regulations and mitigation standards that ensure new shoreline developments prevent a net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes.
  • Policy 11X-8: The County shall consult with DAHP and affected Native American tribes as appropriate in implementing the cultural resource goals, objectives, policies, and regulations of this program.
  • Policy 11X-9: In reviewing development proposals, the County shall take, or cause project applicants to take, all required actions to minimize the risk of disturbing cultural resources within Whatcom County shorelines.
  • Policy 11TT-3: Utilities should be located, designed, constructed, and operated to result in no net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes with appropriate mitigation.
  • Policy 11JJ-1c: It is the policy of Whatcom County to limit the number of industrial piers at Cherry Point to the existing three piers in operation or approved as of January 1, 1998.
  • Policy 11OO-7: Measures to conserve native vegetation along shorelines should be required for all residential development.
Show all 90 stronger policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 86 stronger policies are catalogued in the Real Record civic data warehouse and indexed by policy number against the adopted plan text. See how policies are scored →
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (123 policies in this chapter)
  • 11A-1: Encourage economic development that has minimal adverse effects and mitigates unavoidable impacts upon shoreline ecological functions and processes and the built environment.
  • 11C-4: Encourage cooperation among public agencies, nonprofit groups, private landowners, and developers to increase and diversify recreational opportunities through a variety of means.
  • 11I-2: Restore and enhance shoreline ecological functions, processes, and features through voluntary and incentive-based public and private programs, such as the Shore Friendly Program.
  • 11S-11: Public and private developments should be encouraged to provide trails, viewpoints, water access points, and shoreline-related recreation opportunities whenever possible.
  • Policy 11EE-2: Restoration of impaired shoreline ecological functions and processes should be encouraged as part of commercial development.
  • Policy 11OO-2: New residential development is encouraged to cluster dwelling units together to reduce physical and visual impacts on shorelines and to reduce utility and road costs.
  • Policy 11NN-9: Cooperative efforts among public and private persons toward the acquisition and/or development of suitable recreation sites or facilities should be explored to assure long-term availability.
Show all 123 aspirational / monitoring policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 119 policies in this bucket use language like “encourage,” “support,” “consider,” or “monitor” — phrasing that does not create an enforceable commitment. See how policies are scored →

SAY vs DISCUSS: Did this come up in meetings?

Real Record has not yet indexed any Whatcom County briefings tagged to this chapter’s topics. Browse all Whatcom County council and planning briefings to see related discussions in context.

View Whatcom County Briefings →