Critical fish habitat would receive increased oversight and protection through legislation passed today by the Senate.
SB 5885, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline), builds on his 2021 legislation to require friendly shoreline development by directing the state to identify illegally built docks and seawalls and to enforce laws prohibiting them.
“Illegally built docks and seawalls are unnecessarily harmful to shoreline habitat and marine life,” Salomon said. “They damage eelgrass habitat, disrupt salmon migration, and expose salmon to more predators.”
Salomon’s bill would direct the Department of Ecology to survey Puget Sound shorelines and identify unpermitted development. A large number of shoreline projects are built illegally and without required permits from local governments, presenting a glaring need to actively monitor shorelines for illegal structures, Salomon said. His bill was amended on the Senate floor to include derelict vessels in the surveys.
Salomon noted that bulkheads line more than 700 miles of Puget Sound shoreline and said active monitoring of shoreline conditions is the only way for the state to stay abreast of the many disruptions to habitat.
“Every time someone replaces an older dock or seawall, it’s an opportunity to incorporate techniques that will have the mildest possible impact on marine life,” Salomon said. “We can make our shorelines healthier while still allowing people to enjoy time on and near the water.”
