The Department of Ecology (Ecology) manages and maintains the Washington Coastal Atlas that contains shoreline images of the Washington coast and Puget Sound. The data presented in the Washington Coastal Atlas is available through the cooperation and partnership of federal and state agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The purpose of the Washington Coastal Atlas is to make relevant information easily available for use in coastal and shoreline resource planning and management.
By December 31, 2024, Ecology must conduct and maintain a baseline survey of Puget Sound marine shorelines that uses new technology to capture geo-referenced oblique aerial and 360 degree on-the-water imagery.
The survey to document and map existing shoreline conditions, structures, and structure conditions must be completed by June 30, 2025. The information from the surveys must be available to the public and incorporated into state geographic information system mapping, and updated on a regular two-year cycle thereafter.
The survey must include Puget Sound shorelines and related inland marine waters including the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hood Canal and the San Juan Islands.
The date by which the Ecology must complete the initial aerial and on-the-water imagery is changed from June 30, 2024, to December 31, 2024.
A null and void clause is added, which provides that the act is null and void if specific funding for the purposes of the act, referencing the act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2023, in the omnibus appropriations act.
(In support) Shorelines are critical to the health of the overall Puget Sound ecosystem. The interface between land and sea is especially valuable for food production. Many bird species use this area, including puffins. There is no comprehensive database of conditions along Puget Sound shorelines. The state has bits and pieces of that information, but no overall picture. This imagery would allow the state to track the recovery of the Puget Sound. The bill will improve understanding of the Puget Sound nearshore environment.
The nearshore environment is especially critical to the survival of juvenile salmon after they enter saltwater. Information gaps are limiting the effectiveness of public and private actions to recover nearshore habitat. The state needs this information to prioritize restoration actions.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) There is support for the intent of the bill to require ongoing monitoring of Puget Sound shorelines. Having good imaging of shorelines is the best way to inform programs related to shorelines. Long-term monitoring is currently not financially supported. Many organizations and agencies use the information that is currently available and would use the data collected by the program, including local governments and tribes. The imagery would be useful to educate the public about different shore forms, to track results of shoreline restoration projects, to identify derelict structures, and to assess coastal changes over time.
The survey would provide invaluable information. The on-water imagery would be conducted from a boat and would be publicly available. The oblique imagery would allow for viewing beneath tree canopies. Because the imaging would be georeferenced, it would have the accuracy of a map. The bill would provide a regular funding model to maintain a resource that many around the state take advantage of. It would be good to have until the end of the biennium to gather all the images.