Oregon's Restrictions on Shoreline Protective Structures: A GIS Database of Permit Eligibility

Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 18 places descriptive limits on where permits for ocean shoreline protective structures (SPS) can be issued, namely, where development existed on January 1, 1977. This requirement has been problematic for local governments and state regulatory agencies, however. The definition of development in Goal 18 is complicated, and has been misinterpreted in the past. Some local governments have not completed geographic inventories of ocean front properties that meet the developed criteria. The lack of publicly available inventories has created surprises for property owners, and makes proactive planning difficult. The Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) has recognized the need to work with local governments to build a GIS database of the properties eligible for SPS permits, and work is currently underway. The mapped inventory will serve a variety of purposes for state and local agencies, as well as for consultants and the general public.