Project Overview

Project Title: Coastal Management Plan Update
Client: Lake and Peninsula Borough
Project Manager: Gabrielle LaRoche, LaRoche+Associates
Goal: Strive to retain a local voice in state and federal permitting decisions that affect coastal resources.
Objective: Amend the coastal management plan to conform to new state mandates.

The Lake and Peninsula Borough Coastal Management Plan (LPBCMP) was adopted by the Assembly in 1996. The Program allows the Borough to provide local input and guidance to State and federal agencies involved in developing projects, issuing permits or managing land and coastal resources. The program also provides an information base and policies to assist the Borough in making local land and resource use decisions.

Coastal Management is applies to lands and waters in the coastal zone. The inland coastal zone boundary includes all lands and waters within the Lake and Peninsula Borough, except for perennially snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and volcanoes.   Many large freshwater lakes are included in the coastal zone including Lake Clark, Lake Illiamna, Naknek Lake, BecharofLake and Upper and Lower Ugashik Lakes. The statewide seaward coastal zone boundary is the "outer limit of the United States territorial sea", which is the "three geographic mile line". LPBCMP enforceable policies are applied to projects requiring state and/or federal permits and federal activities.

What has changed?
The Alaska Coastal Management has recently changed in ways that require significant changes in district plans like the LPBCMP. For example, districts may no longer write policies about air, land or water quality issues, as these are regulated by the Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Except for sand and gravel, mining can no longer be directly addressed by an enforceable policy. Many subject areas may only be addressed if the use or activity occurs adjacent to, or is expected to have a direct and significant impact on marine coastal water. Timber harvest has long been off limits, but now the proscription is more firm.

In addition, in order to have policies for many types of uses and resources, the Borough must first designate specific areas for these uses and resources. It is no longer legal for a district plan to have enforceable policies about coastal resources that can be applied on a case-by-case basis, anywhere within the coastal district. These resources, or these areas where a use occurs, must be described or mapped at a scale sufficient to determine whether a proposed project is located within the area and then justified by scientific studies or documentation of local usage. This new state requirement applies to recreation, subsistence, natural hazards, tourism, major energy facilities, habitats, commercial fishing and seafood processing, and historical areas.

What must be done?
These major changes at the state level require major changes at the community level. The original timeline was unworkably short. As such the legislature granted an extension May, 2005. The Lake and Peninsula Borough must now submit its Final Draft Plan Amendment by March 1, 2006.

The Lake and Peninsula Borough with the help of LaRoche+Associates completed the required plan evaluation and policy analysis in July, 2004. LaRoche+Associates was retained in September to assist in meeting the new state mandates. Agency consultation was commenced in October and continued throughout the plan revision process. A Public Review Draft Plan was released April 8, 2005. The Borough intends to submit its Final Draft Plan Amendment on or before March 1, 2006. Refer to the project schedule and resources web pages for updates as they are available.