Much has been written and discussed about the building of waterfront bulkheads on Seattle-area waterfront properties. Real Estate owners logically want to protect their land, and the slow erosiion of that property does have a long-term effect of lost value. Environmental groups, on the other hand, say that the building of these rock and concrete walls on the waterfront damages or destroys important wildlife habitat.
Seattle has a long-standing tradition of being a leader in environmental protection. While many shoreline management laws are currently being updated, it seems that we need to find a happy medium that we can implement without government intervention. Home owners should be able protect their real estate investments without being hamstrung by bureaucratic red tape. At the same time, reasonable shoreline restrictions and implementation guidelines should be developed by our environmental agencies to give home owners an effective, non-prohibitive solution.
Waterfront real estate owners and environmental groups in Seattle shouldn't have to be at odds. In fact, the home owners can and should support the protection of the environment that gives them the pleasure of living on the water. Environmentally-friendly walls and habitat-friendly construction should be at the forefront of both groups' priorities.
Sam DeBord
Seattle Waterfront Real Estate
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