Island County Case Study
Linked Resources & References

 

Island County Sea Level Rise Strategy Study

Note: This case study also appears on the ‘sea level rise’ tab of the Coastal Hazards Risk Reduction Project Mapper.

Location Island County, WA

Hazard(s) Addressed Sea Level Rise

Shoreform Historic beach, canal, and coastal (feeder) bluff communities

Overview/Adaptation Strategy

Island County’s Sea Level Rise Strategy Study provided two separate elements:

    1. Best practices for sea level rise adaptation
    2. A community based resilience planning framework

A Sea Level Rise Monitoring Report was also developed to create a framework for monitoring sea level rise.

Adaptation Action

With the release of updated sea level rise projections for Washington in 2018, Island County knew they wanted to further address sea level rise in their Shoreline Master Program (SMP). Island County’s first step was to educate themselves about the projections and understand the implications for their communities. County planners reviewed SMP language used by other local jurisdictions in Washington and also examined the adaptive management approaches used by many local governments in California. They learned that rather than picking and planning for one specific projection, many jurisdictions in California consider the range of projections and use sea level rise “thresholds” to trigger subsequent decision points on new measures or planning actions that could be taken.

Island County decided to employ a similar approach that would focus heavily on education and outreach to incorporate sea level rise considerations in their SMP and other local planning efforts. The County worked with Washington Sea Grant and graduate students at the University of Washington to develop a scope of work for a sea level rise strategy study that would establish the following:

A Coastal (Feeder) Bluff Community. Source: Washington State Coastal Atlas

  • An approach for providing information and recommendations to cultivate greater preparedness for sea level rise among property owners in three specific residential communities: historic beach communities, canal communities, and coastal (feeder) bluff communities. The coastal bluff communities encompass residential development both atop and at the base of steep or unstable slopes.
  • A framework for community-based planning to facilitate the development of long-term strategies to improve adaptation and resiliency along the county’s shoreline.

The study provided two important tools for Island County to pursue resilience efforts through its planning department as well as other county departments:

Best Practices for Sea Level Rise Adaptation (Volume 2 – page 34)

This section of the report reviews literature of coastal adaptation options measures in place in the U.S. and abroad. A set of recommendations are crafted for three specific beach communities in Island County, historic beach communities, canal communities, and coastal bluff communities, with proposals for applicable short-, medium- and long-term adaptation strategies. The strategies include methods for protection, accommodation, and retreat from coastal storms and flooding. Each strategy is further subdivided into management actions. For example, protection includes bulkheads as well as soft shore protection or dry floodproofing.  Accommodation management practices include elevated structures, raised ground, or utility relocation, to name a few. Different management practices are recommended based on the timeframe and location.

Community Based Resilience Planning Framework

This section of the report reviews literature on approaches to providing community-based planning focused on coastal adaptation. The report includes a framework and associated guidebook designed for use by community groups planning for coastal resilience. There are five identified components to the community-based planning framework:

  • Step 1: Define planning issues and establish a community planning team
  • Step 2: Identify community values and vulnerable assets
  • Step 3: Analyze risk and establish thresholds for action
  • Step 4: Develop and implement resilience strategies and projects
  • Step 5: Monitor outcomes to inform future plans

The guidebook contains details and worksheets for each of these steps. Each of the sections of the report contain appendices and references specific to its content along with a glossary of terms commonly referenced throughout.

Lessons Learned

  • With assistance from Nicole Faghin at Washington Sea Grant, Island County held an interdepartmental workshop to discuss the latest sea level rise science and identify vulnerable communities in Island County. This helped the County decide which shoreline communities the strategy study should focus on.

    Island County community workshop on sea level rise. Source: Island County Marine Resources Committee

  • Several community workshops on sea level rise were held to inform Island County’s planning efforts and to answer questions that community members had about sea level rise and potential adaptation measures available to them. The Island County Marine Resources Committee helped put together and organize these workshops, which included presentations from Washington Sea Grant and Island County staff.
  • Island County decided to hire a consultant to develop a sea level rise monitoring report which will be referenced in the goals and policies section of their next SMP update. The monitoring report establishes data collection timelines and sets thresholds that trigger discussions for reevaluating the County’s sea level rise planning approach. The County knew that they had to carefully consider how they determine if and when thresholds are reached. For example, if FEMA damage claims were used as a proxy, this could be the result of a particularly bad storm year and not necessarily driven by sea level rise.
  • The information in the best practices for sea level rise adaptation, while designed specifically for three Island County communities, provides a model for development of a similar approach in other communities. The Community-based Resilience Planning Guide has been produced in a format applicable to other communities and can be found on the CHRN website.

Project Team and Partners

Sea Level Rise Strategy Study Team:

  • Nicole Faghin, Washington Sea Grant
  • Dorothy Mulkern, then Graduate Student in UW Department of Urban Design and Planning
  • Dan Cloutier, then Graduate Student in UW Department of Urban Design and Planning

Island County Staff:

  • Meredith Penny, Island County Planning
  • Jonathan Lange, Island County Planning

Sea Level Rise Monitoring Report:

  • Herrera Environmental Consultants

Budget

  • Stipend for graduate students to conduct the Sea Level Rise Strategy Study: $4000
  • Consultant’s development of the Sea Level Rise Monitoring Report: $24,427
  • Both of these tasks were paid for by SMP periodic review grant funds from the WA Department of Ecology.

Timeframe

  • Sea Level Rise Strategy Study: August 2019 – March 2020
  • The SMP periodic review process continued through 2021

Contact