What’s on our Radar – Week of July 14th, 2025
We recommend you get caught up on FOCC’s recent Comp Plan forum if you haven’t already:
- Last week:
- There was a very informative work session on Pacificorp’s proposed transmission line that would affect many parts of the county. Notably, Councilor Matt Little urged the council to commit to ensuring the environmental review (when it comes to that point) considers other routes for the power line as alternatives. Check out the map here: https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2025-07/070925-work-session_transmission-line_q2599_newsub_sites-reduced.pdf
Watch the work session here: 7 9 25 WS PacifiCorp
- There was a very informative work session on Pacificorp’s proposed transmission line that would affect many parts of the county. Notably, Councilor Matt Little urged the council to commit to ensuring the environmental review (when it comes to that point) considers other routes for the power line as alternatives. Check out the map here: https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2025-07/070925-work-session_transmission-line_q2599_newsub_sites-reduced.pdf
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- There was a brief update on the public trust lands visits being planned for councilors with the Department of Natural Resources. As a reminder, FOCC spoke out against another DNR timber sale (Turnover) of legacy forest that is moving through the process despite the county’s request to the DNR to conserve what is left of our older growth forests. In addition, we urged that local advocates and press be included in this trust lands visit and other meetings with the DNR on this subject going forward, given the DNR’s behavior with the Dabbler timber sale and so many other legacy forests across the state. It was announced that community members will be invited to the tours, but they are still working on scheduling. See FOCC’s new letter to the Clark County Council regarding this issue here: https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/read-foccs-letter-to-the-clark-county-council-re-turnover-timber-sale-and-dnr-managed-clark-county-trust-lands/
- There were some board and commission meetings, including:
- Parks Advisory Board meeting (including an overview of the Capital Improvement Plan): https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/parks-advisory-board
- There was a CTran Board meeting that was recorded on https://www.cvtv.org/
- There was a Planning Commission work session on the housing and transportation elements of the Clark County Comprehensive Plan Update. Unfortunately, the recording is not posted and we don’t have notes from this meeting to provide yet.
- There was a Development and Engineering Advisory Board (DEAB) meeting on EV charging requirements and compact lots. Audio of the meeting and more information here: https://clark.wa.gov/community-development/development-and-engineering-advisory-board
- Parks Advisory Board meeting (including an overview of the Capital Improvement Plan): https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/parks-advisory-board
- This week:
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- Tuesday, July 15th at 6pm is a Clark County Council meeting. Items of note:
- Open Public Comment opportunity—3 minutes to speak on any issue!
- Tuesday, July 15th at 6pm is a Clark County Council meeting. Items of note:
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- Public hearing on Biannual Code Amendments, including a Forest Practices code update.
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- Request for approval of a contract proposal with ECONorthwest to carry out the countywide agricultural lands study. Council and administrative policy implications noted are the timely completion of the 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan Update. Reminder that this consultant stated recently (just like FOCC and county staff before them) that the timeline was not enough for them to complete such a study, so the council irresponsibly extended the completion of the Comp Plan even further past the state mandated deadline (knowing the dire risks associated with flouting state law) instead of waiting to perform the study until after the Comp Plan’s completion—all in order to accommodate just two cities’ (Ridgefield and La Center) requests to take out hundreds of acres of designated agricultural land. You can comment on this agenda item. Some things to consider in your comments:
- A coalition of 13 community-based organizations (CBOs) advancing equity and uplifting the voices of systematically underserved communities in the Clark County Comprehensive Plan process recently sent a letter to the Clark County Council urging them to ensure that food security be prioritized as a factor for consideration in the ag lands study. You can voice your support for this demand in your comments.
- The Council could still turn it around and do the right thing by rejecting the request and returning to their original plan to delay the ag study until after the Comp Plan. It is highly unlikely they will change course now, but it doesn’t hurt to remind them of the implications and that the community is watching them continue to make this destructive choice every step of the way.
- Request for approval of a contract proposal with ECONorthwest to carry out the countywide agricultural lands study. Council and administrative policy implications noted are the timely completion of the 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan Update. Reminder that this consultant stated recently (just like FOCC and county staff before them) that the timeline was not enough for them to complete such a study, so the council irresponsibly extended the completion of the Comp Plan even further past the state mandated deadline (knowing the dire risks associated with flouting state law) instead of waiting to perform the study until after the Comp Plan’s completion—all in order to accommodate just two cities’ (Ridgefield and La Center) requests to take out hundreds of acres of designated agricultural land. You can comment on this agenda item. Some things to consider in your comments:
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- Wednesday, July 16th at 9am is a work session on the ADA Transition Plan for the Comprehensive Plan Update.
- Wednesday, July 16th at 1pm is Council Time. Agenda items of note:
- 2026 Legislative Requests
- Deep dive into the week’s meeting agenda, including how to participate, here: https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings
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- Heads up on other advisory board and commission meetings:
- Other happenings:
- Public resource: Reminder about a great public resource! FOCC’s own Jackie Lane tracks Clark County’s land use activities in a publicly available document here, so be sure to bookmark it:
See you next week!
Karissa
FOCC Community Outreach