I am appalled at the desecration of the shorelines in Sidney and the surrounding areas. It is time for Sidney and other local municipalities to start imposing punitive fines for violating rules and altering properties without obtaining the necessary permits.
Many people seem to think it is easier and cheaper to do what they want, then pay a minimal fine and ask forgiveness. Instead of a $500 fine, make it $5,000, and for repeat offenders, double it. That should be in addition to restoring shorelines or properties to their former state. If vegetation has been removed, it must be replaced. No excuses.
Developers who repeat this behaviour should be denied further building permits. If that were to happen, perhaps more attention to the rules would be paid.
Most beaches in this area provide a place to spawn for small fish. Some beaches are also in a protected federal bird sanctuary, which has additional rules to protect wildlife. The small forage fish feed about a hundred different species of wildlife - fish, like salmon, many birds and mammals like whales and orcas. Bank hardening (seawalls, etc.) prevents this from happening because the sands and gravels shift away.
In Sidney, one developer has stripped his piece of the shoreline of all vegetation on two different spawning beaches, in advance of the winter storm season. That vegetation protected those shorelines from erosion during many years of storms, and also put nutrients onto those beaches. Now that is all gone, and with it, a place for the little fish to spawn.
Mayors and councillors, please toughen up the fines.