Preparing for DNR: Key Steps for Floating Home Lease Renewal from the FHA Dock Leadership Meeting

Our recent Dock Leadership meeting on April 23 was a solid success, held in the beautiful setting at the Center for Wooden Boats. Led by Floating Homes Association VP and Legislative Lead Sheri Greaves, the evening focused on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) lease renewal process—a significant undertaking as a large number of leases for our floating homes situated on state-owned aquatic land are coming up for renewal at roughly the same time.

Being an FHA member dock means you have access to clear, reliable information on the upcoming DNR renewal—specific to the special needs of floating home docks—and can benefit from the long-standing relationships the FHA has built over decades.

The big takeaway from Sheri for our community is that there is no need to panic. Even if DNR doesn’t finalize your specific lease before the current one expires, the agreement simply moves to a month-to-month basis with the existing terms, ensuring no one is left in legal limbo while we work through the paperwork and site visits.

A good portion of the night was spent on the nuts and bolts of the upcoming DNR site visits. The informative FHA Q&A document helped support the conversation with the member dock leaders. DNR Managers will be looking for specific maintenance issues, so it is a smart move to be proactive, such as tire removal and ensuring any exposed styrofoam is either removed or wrapped. We also dove into the specifics of DNR jurisdiction and the importance of documenting any grandfathered accessory floats. If you have old dock archives or aerial photos showing your floats were in use before March 1, 1977, now is the time to dig those out; that documentation is our best tool for keeping existing footprints intact.

Looking ahead, the FHA is developing a template for safety and emergency plans so individual docks don't have to reinvent the wheel. We are also weighing the idea of re-engaging a lobbyist to make sure our community’s voice stays heard in Olympia as regulations evolve. For more details on the meeting, please reach out to the dock board members who attended, or connect directly with Sheri Greaves, our FHA VP, at legislative@seattlefloatinghomes.org. We are already looking toward our next meeting in the fall, where we hope to have Amy Grosbeck from the City join us to help clear up lingering questions on permitting.