This site was created to provide you and other waterfront homeowners with information about how to protect your property with minimal impact to the ecology of Puget Sound.
Our goal is to inspire you, as stewards of your own special piece of Puget Sound, to leave your shoreline as natural as possible. We hope you will consider replacing unneeded bulkheads with more natural erosion protection—and build hard armor only if it is necessary to protect your property.
More than 25% of the Puget Sound waterfront has some type of “hard armor”—whether it’s a concrete bulkhead, rock seawall, or wooden pilings. Regulations make it tougher to install new bulkheads unless there is a proven need, but they are still being built, mostly on residential properties.
Who Is Behind This Site?
This website is part of a Puget Sound–wide effort to leave shorelines in a more natural state so they can continue to support the species that need natural beaches to survive—from insects and birds to salmon and orcas. Coastal professionals have developed many practical and affordable alternatives to hard armor that can protect property from erosion without degrading the ecosystem.
The Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources, with funding from the federal government, developed this informational site. Currently, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, through their Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program, leads Shore Friendly and administers grants to local programs throughout Puget Sound. While the site includes information about regulations, it has no regulatory purpose. No information will be collected from you, and the site does not track users in any way.
The site also supports concurrent efforts by local governments and nonprofits that are concerned about the health of Puget Sound. These include workshops for property owners and realtors, help with permitting, site visits by licensed professionals with coastal expertise, and free permit-ready designs. You’ll find more information about these efforts in the Resources in Your Area section of this site.
Contact Us
If you have further questions or comments about the Shore Friendly program or need to get in contact with someone, please email the ESRP Shore Friendly Coordinator jenna.jewett@dfw.wa.gov.
For more information on regional goals for reducing hard armor on Puget Sound, please see the Puget Sound Partnership’s page on shoreline armoring at www.psp.wa.gov/vitalsigns/shoreline_armoring.php.
Thank you for visiting Shorefriendly.org!
