EPHRATA - Grant County Planning Director Damien Hooper told commissioners this week the two-year process of adopting a countywide shoreline management plan is wrapping up.

An April 9 public hearing with the commissioners will be one of the last steps the county must complete to adopt and implement the new rules for docks, recreation and development within 200 feet of large bodies of water.

He said that agriculture uses, among other things, would be exempted from the permitting process of the SMP.

After a public hearing two weeks ago, the Grant County Planning Committee unanimously approved adopting the new shoreline rules. The commission fielded questions from about 10 people, and Hooper told commissioners that no new problems arose during that hearing.

"I am happy to report that we are on track to adopting the Shoreline Management Plan," he told commissioners this week.

He said that his office is working with the Washington Department of Ecology to make sure that Grant County's shoreline rules are in line with their standards. After the county approves the plan, the state ecology department must approve it, allowing for more public comment, then the plan goes back to the county for final approval.

Hooper said that researching and implementing new shoreline rules "has truly been a full-time job for two years."

Commissioners thanked Hooper for his knowledge and hard work with the SMP.

"If we had not have someone with your expertise we don't know what we would have done," Commissioner Cindy Carter said.

Commissioners encouraged anyone with comments or questions about the new shoreline rules to attend the public hearing at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday at the commissioner's meeting room in the Grant County courthouse.