Seattle, and other local governments in the state, is required by the Washington Shoreline Management Act (SMA) to develop and adopt a Shoreline Master Program (SMP) including goals, policies, and regulations consistent with state guidelines. The SMA establishes three major policy goals for SMPs:

1. Preferred Shoreline Uses: The SMA establishes preferred uses in order to prioritize water-oriented uses and ensure that land uses are appropriate for the environmental context.

2. Environmental Protection: The SMA requires protections for shoreline natural resources, including "...the land and its vegetation and wildlife, and the water of the state and their aquatic life..." to ensure no net loss of environmental function.

3. Public Access: The SMA promotes public access to the water by mandating inclusion of a public access element in local SMPs and requiring provisions to ensure that new development maintains public access features.

To implement these policies, the Department of Ecology has also developed Shoreline Master Program Guidelines, which provide specific standards for SMPs. These standards address a variety of issues including shoreline uses, modifications, public access, vegetation conservation, critical areas, flood hazard reduction, water quality, and archeological and historic resources.