Shellfish Aquaculture Permits Step 3: Review JARPA Materials with Your Local Government
Guide to Shellfish Aquaculture Permits in Washington
Local Government Review
After submitting your JARPA form and relevant application materials, your local government will begin Shoreline Management Act (SMA) and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) reviews.
This step provides an overview of two major Washington State environmental acts that aquaculture projects must abide by:
The Shoreline Management Act
The State of Washington adopted the Shoreline Management Act (SMA) in November 1972 to provide a management and protection framework for the state’s shorelines. The SMA applies to all marine waters where aquaculture occurs such as the Pacific Coast, Hood Canal, and certain Puget Sound shorelines.
To implement the framework, the SMA calls for each jurisdiction to develop a Shoreline Master Program (SMP). The SMPs contain local land-use policies and regulations that apply to aquaculture practices. You will want to review state-approved SMPs for the area where your aquaculture project is proposed to determine what type of permit may be required under the applicable SMP.
The State Environmental Policy Act
Washington agencies use a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist for aquaculture projects to assess the potential environmental impacts of a proposal. For a detailed explanation of the local government review process, review pages 2-4 of the SEPA checklist. For more information on how SEPA may or may not be applied to your aquaculture project, see this overview of SEPA and SEPA FAQs.
The proposed import of any new proposed aquaculture species requires the completion of a SEPA checklist (per Washington Administrative Code Chapter 220-370).
Note: At this time, the link for the SEPA checklist found on the JARPA Instructions is out of date and will not work. Follow the link provided above labeled as the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist.
For clarification or additional questions about SEPA compliance, contact Ecology SEPA Help at sepahelp@ecy.wa.gov or (360) 407-6922.
Permitting Steps
- Step 1: Scope Your Site
- Step 2: Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application
- Step 3: Local Government Review
- Step 4: Federal Regulatory Agency Permits and Approvals
- Step 5: State Owned Aquatic Lands Authorization
- Step 6: Tribal Review
- Step 7: Health Shellfish Operator's License Application and Certification
- Step 8: Import and Transfer Permitting and Aquatic Farm Registration
Contact
Teri King
Regional Aquaculture Coordinator - Oregon and Washington
West Coast Region
Office: (360) 207-1724
teri.king@noaa.gov