For the past ten years the Methow Valley Citizens Council and other organizations have worked to protect the shoreline ecology of the Methow Valley via the Shoreline Master Program.

One significant aspect of the Shoreline Master Program is that it assigns a category to every mile of every shoreline in the County, and these categories govern development on shoreline properties. In a draft of the Program previous to the one adopted, former county commissioners had reduced protection for thousands of acres of ecologically important shoreline. The Citizens Council worked with both Ecology and the current commissioners to restore protection for these areas, in the form of greater riparian vegetation buffers and larger setbacks for structures. This month, the Department of Ecology approved Okanogan County’s Shoreline Master Program that addresses the use, management and restoration of shorelines along the Chewuch, Methow, Okanogan, Similkameen and Twisp rivers, and lakes Pateros, Osoyoos and Palmer.

We could not have done this without our members, volunteers and the Methow Valley community. Thank you for writing comment letters, attending county meetings and so much more. Together we can continue to protect the rural character and natural environment of the Methow Valley for current and future generations.

“This has been a tremendous effort by many persistent, engaged citizens.  The community spoke up, and the commissioners heard us.” – Melanie Rowland, MVCC Board member.