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2015 Spring | Policy & Regulation

A Permit to Impede Salmon Recovery: A Review of Puget Sound Shoreline Armoring Policies

Student(s):

Kara Van Slyck

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Viccy Salazar

Partner(s):

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10

Faculty advisor(s):

Beth Bryant, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington

During my capstone I worked at the EPA Region 10 office with the main responsibilities of analyzing three agencies that issue shoreline development permits in Puget Sound, how the three were connected and what their approval process was. The research identified several holes in the policy permitting process and helped answer the question of why harmful development was occurring in salmon habitat even though there is a well-known negative impact to salmon recovery. My scholarly report includes recom- mendations addressing the issues in the permit approval process and connects those issues with the current status of salmon recovery.