The Board of County Commissioners adopted the Draft SMP on December 12, 2023. A clean and a strike-through version showing edits are immediately below. 

• Adopted - Shoreline  Master Program – Clean Copy
• Adopted - Shoreline Master Program – Strike-through Version
• Appendix A: Proposed Shoreline Environment Designations Map
• Adopting Resolution 16333

Video & Documents from the Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing

• Recorded Public Hearing Video on YouTube from the May 16 BoCC Public Hearing
• Strikethrough Version of the SMP Draft document with proposed edits marked
• Clean Version of the SMP Draft document
• SMP Decision Matrix
• Planning Commission SMP Minority Report
• 2023 Inventory & Characterization Report Supplement
• 2023 Shoreline Environment Designation Report Supplement
• SEPA Mitigated Determination of Non-significance (MDNS)
• To more learn about the SMP, visit the SMP Documents section below to view the story map, fact sheets, maps and historical documents.

Public Comments

• To view public comments on the SMP Update project, please go to the Public Participation section below.

• Learn more about the SMP update in the SMP Update story map
• See the options for Public Participation in the Public Participation section below.
• View fact sheets, maps and other documents related to the SMP Update, in the Documents section below.
• Why the county is updating its SMP: Washington's Department of Ecology requires counties to update their shoreline building and development regulations from time to time. A county SMP update project is nearing completion. Review the SMP documents to learn more about it, or visit the Public Participation page to submit a comment, read comments submitted by other or subscribe to our email list for update

The current shoreline rules adopted in 1990 and used as the current shoreline development policies for unincorporated Thurston County. The Current SMP applies to marine shorelines (Puget Sound), rivers with a flow greater than 20 cubic feet per second, lakes larger than 20 acres, upland areas within 200 feet of these water bodies, and the floodplains and wetlands associated with these shorelines.

• 1990 Shoreline Master Program - the current code 
• Current Shoreline Designations Map

Presentations

Start here! Whether you're new to the project or simply trying to make sense of the proposed changes, start with the story map. About a 10 minute read.

• Shoreline Master Program Update Story Map

Fact Sheets

1. Overview of Proposed Changes 
2. Remodeling Expanding and Rebuilding 
3. Shoreline Designations 
4. What is an SMP 
5. Aquaculture 
6. Buffers and Setbacks  |  Proposed Buffers Chart 2022 
7. Environmental Protection 
8. CAO and SMP 
9. Shoreline Permits 
10. Additions to SMP Jurisdiction 
11. Agriculture 

Maps

See where the current rules apply, where the proposed changes may take effect, and a side-by-side comparison of the two.

• 1990 SMP - Current 
• 2022 SMP - Proposed Updates 
• 1990 & 2022 Side-by-side comparison SED Map
• Shoreline Environmental Designations - Proposed Updates (Interactive Web)

SMP Project Documents (in date order)

• August 3, 2022
  Planning Commission Recommendation documents
  • Planning Commission Recommendation Letter
  • Attachment A: Planning Commission SMP Minority Report
  • Attachment B: Planning Commission SMP Recommendation (Clean Copy)
  • Attachment B: Planning Commission SMP Recommendation (Showing Changes Since Public Hearing)
• October 20, 2021
  Planning Commission public hearing 
  • Visit the County's YouTube page.
• August 2021 
  Planning Commission SMP Public Hearing Draft Documents
  • Shoreline Master Program Public Hearing Draft (Clean copy)
  • Planning Commission Public Hearing Draft (With edits marked)
  • Inventory & Characterization Report 
  • Inventory & Characterization Supplement 
  • Shoreline Environmental Designations (SED) Report (linked below in "2013 and later")
  • Shoreline Environmental Designations Report Supplement 
• October 21, 2020  
  Full SMP Draft, Appendices and Maps previously submitted to Planning Commission:
  • Full SMP Draft 
  • Appendix A - Environmental Designations   Report 
  • Draft Appendix-B-C-D Combined - No Net Loss, Restoration & Channel Migration Zone   Report 
  • Cumulative Impacts Analysis  Report
  • Inventory & Characterization   Report 
  • All supporting documents and maps 
  • Maps  Development Capacity Map   |   Designations Map  |   Minimum Jurisdiction Map 

2013 and later 

• Shoreline Inventory & Characterization Report, Map & Appendices web page
• Draft Shoreline Designations Report 
• Map 2 Proposed Updates to the Shoreline Environment Designations

Draft Documents for the Updated Shoreline Inventory & Characterizations Report

Draft Inventory & Characterization Report

Appendices

Appendix A: Reach Analysis Matrix

Appendix B: Inventory 

Appendix C: GIS Data Sources

Appendix D: Acronyms 

Appendix E: Literature Cited in Chapter 3 and Appendix F 

Appendix F: Ecosystem-wide Processes Characterization Methods

Appendix G: Streams Not Meeting 20 cubic feet per second 

Maps

Map 1 Shorelines of the State and Shorelines of Statewide Significance 

Map 2 Shoreline Jurisdiction Changes 

Map 3 Proposed Shoreline Jurisdiction and Reach Breaks 

Map 4 Proposed Jurisdiction and Reach Breaks: Northeast Thurston County

Map 5 Proposed Jurisdiction and Reach Breaks: Northwest Thurston County 

Map 6 Proposed Jurisdiction and Reach Breaks: South-central Thurston County 

Map 7 Proposed Jurisdiction and Reach Breaks: Southwest Thurston County

Map 7a Proposed Jurisdiction and Reach Breaks: Southeast Thurston County

Map 8 Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs) 

Map 9 Watershed Basins 

Map 10 Topography and Hydrology 

Map 10a Shoreline Type 

Map 11 Geology – Bedrock Age 

Map 12 Geology – Lithology 

Map 13 Precipitation

Map 14 Coastal Processes Important Areas

Map 15 Coastal Processes Alterations

Map 16 Hydrology Important Areas 

Map 17 Hydrologic Processes Alterations 

Map 18 Sediment Processes Important Areas 

Map 19 Sediment Processes Alterations 

Map 20 Water Quality Processes Important Areas

Map 21 Water Quality Processes Alterations 

Map 22 Large Woody Debris Processes Important Areas

Map 23 Large Woody Debris Processes Alterations

Map 23b Local Habitat Assessment – 2008

Map 24 2012 Aerial Photos and Reaches

Map 25 2006 Land Cover 

Map 26 Impervious Land Cover

Map 27 Built Environment by Basin 2006 

Map 28 Forest over by Basin 2006 

Map 29 Critical Areas Biological

Map 30 Critical Areas Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas

Map 31 Critical Areas Hydrologic 

Map 32 Critical Areas Geologic

Map 33 Slope

Map 34 Biological Features

Map 34b Kelp and Eelgrass 

Map 34c Saltmarsh 

Map 35 Marine Fisheries 

Map 36 Commercial Shellfish Growing Areas

Map 37 Aquatic Land Ownership 

Map 38 Nationwide Permit 48 Parcels 

Map 39 Current Land Use - Thurston County Office of the Assessor 

Map 40 Current Land Use - Buildable Lands 2011

Map 41a Future Land Use - Buildable Lands 2011

Map 41b Rural County Zoning

Map 41c Future Development Potential 

Map 42 Registered Historic Districts and Properties 

Map 43 Public Access and Public Lands

Map 44 Existing Shoreline Environment Designations

Map 45 PSNERP Beach Management Recommendations

Map 46 PSNERP Coastal Inlet Management Recommendations 

Map 47 PSNERP Barrier Embayment Management Recommendations

Map 48 PSNERP River Delta Management Recommendations

Map 49 WRIA 11 Puget Sound Water Flow Management Recommendations 

Map 50 WRIA 13 Puget Sound Water Flow Management Recommendations

Map 51 WRIA 14 Puget Sound Water Flow Management Recommendations

Map 52 WRIA 23 Puget Sound Water Flow Management Recommendations

Map 53 Preliminary Shoreline Environment Designations 

Map 54 Preliminary Shoreline Environment Designations: Northeast 

Map 55 Preliminary Shoreline Environment Designations: Northwest 

Map 56 Preliminary Shoreline Environment Designations: South-central 

Map 57 Preliminary Shoreline Environment Designations: Southeast 

Map 58 Preliminary Shoreline Environment Designations: Southwest

• Subscribe to the Community Planning mailing list for occasional email updates using the sign-up form. You'll receive all departmental updates, not just SMP news.
• See public comments submitted by others about the SMP:
  • Comments received for the BOCC public hearing
    • Summary of Public Comments from October 23, 2021 - May 31, 2023 
      • Comments 1-26 (from October 23, 2021 - May 31, 2023)
      • Comments 27-62 (from October 23, 2021-May 31, 2023)
      • Comments 63-100  (from October 23, 2021-May 31, 2023)
      • Comments 101-119 & A-1 (from October 23, 2021-May 31, 2023
  • Comments Received August 10, 2021 - October 22,  2021 (After the Oct 20 2021 Public Hearing)
    • Divided due to the file sizes
      • Volume 1  |  Volume 2  |  Volume 3  |  Volume 4  |  Volume 5  |   Volume 6  |  Volume 7  |  Volume 8  |  Volume 9  |  Volume 10  |  Public Comment Matrix (summary of the above comments)
  • Comments received before the August 13, 2021 launch of the SMP update virtual open house.
    • 1_SMP Comments Provided to Planning Commission Dec 6, 2017
    • 2_SMP Comments Provided to Planning Commission Mar 7, 2018 - Part 1
    • 3_SMP Comments Provided to Planning Commission Mar 7, 2018 - Part 2
    • 4_SMP Comments Provided to Planning Commission Nov 7, 2018
    • 5_SMP Comments Provided to Planning Commission Dec 19, 2018
    • 6_SMP Comments Provided to Planning Commission Mar 20, 2019
    • 7_SMP Emails Received Since Mar 6, 2019
    • 7a_Addl SMP Comments since Mar 6, 2019
    • 7b_SMP Addl Comments received 04-18-2020 - 03-05-2021
    • 7c_SMP comments received 3-15-21 - 8-12-21
    • 8_Written Public Comment Provided At Planning Commission Meetings
    • 9_Planning Commissioner Comments from PC Website
    • A-27 - Public Comments_Matrix
    • Ecology Comments SMP Chapter 19-400 (Aug 7, 2019 comments)
    • Ecology Comments SMP DRAFT Jul 2018 Version (submitted March 2019)
    • SMP Comments-from-10-17-17-SMP-Meeting (PDF)
    • Thurston County SMP Comment Matrix (8-2021)