Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Management Act: An Important Land Use Decision From The State Supreme Court

In a 5 to 4 decision issued today, the Washington Supreme Court held that critical shoreline areas in the state are now to be regulated under the rules and procedures of the Shoreline Management Act, not the Growth Management Act. The dissent argues that this is only to happen when the Department of Ecology approves new shoreline master plans.

This short, opaque opinion (10 pages for the majority and 5 for the dissent) is going to have wide-ranging effects.