The Washington Department of Ecology (WDE) has approved the city of Covington’s recently updated shoreline master program.

Covington’s program protects about two-and-a-half miles of shoreline along Big Soos and Jenkins Creeks and Pipe Lake.

The city submitted its program to WDE in May. WDE Director Ted Sturdevant has approved the shoreline master program as submitted.

The effective date of the shoreline master program is Sept. 13.

Covington is one of about 230 towns, cities and counties statewide that are in the process of or soon will be updating their master programs during the next few years, under the state’s 1972 voter-approved Shoreline Management Act.

The law requires cities and counties with regulated shorelines to develop and periodically update their locally tailored programs to help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses, and protect the public’s right to public lands and waters.

Under state law, WDE’s final approval of the city’s shoreline program incorporates it into the state Shoreline Master Program.

All of Washington’s cities and counties with regulated shorelines must update their programs by December 2014.

The standards resulted from a negotiated settlement between 58 parties, including business interests, ports, environmental groups, shoreline user groups, cities and counties, WDE and the courts.