Sea Level Rise Planning Now!

On May 3rd, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1181 into law. This new law will help build climate-resilient communities in every city and county across Washington by amending Washington’s Grown Management Act to include sea level rise and climate change planning. It mandates reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation while bolstering communities and natural resources against the accelerating impacts of a changing climate. It also adds a definition of environmental justice into the Growth Management Act, stipulating that our land use planning should work to achieve environmental justice and not worsen existing environmental health disparities. As the state’s population grows and its cities and communities expand, it is critical we incorporate the best available science in planning a more resilient future in the face of climate change.

For the last 32 years, Washington has operated under the guidance of the Growth Management Act (GMA). This Act was intended to preserve valuable rural lands and open space by directing development into urban areas. Its requirements include planning for land use, housing, transportation, and more. With the emergence of the climate change and housing crises, this bill’s modifications to the GMA will strengthen the state’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance climate resilience and mitigation, and provide adequate housing for the entire population.

Washington faces severe and costly damage to life and property from climate change. For coastal populations, there is an increased risk from worsening coastal hazards, such as flooding, erosion, and sea level rise. At Governor Inslee’s request, the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council (WCMAC) developed a set of coastal resilience recommendations in 2021 to help state agencies and coastal communities address the challenging issues of the present and shape a prosperous future.

In Washington, we used our seat as the ocean recreation rep on WCMAC to lead efforts in building consensus and prioritization of planning for sea level rise and increasing storm severity, including updates to the Shoreline Management Act and supporting coastal hazards funding. The funding that was secured this session is critical to help communities develop sea level rise plans and coast-specific rules. Changing sea levels can erode land away or add land through accretion. This will change the face of our coastlines and how we manage development or mitigation strategies.