Comprehensive Planning aligned with the Growth Management Act
The County is seeking applicants for the Planning Commission. The term is 6 years, begins in January 2025, and meets twice a month. The Planning Commission is a seven-member committee that makes recommendations to the council on land-use planning, zoning and development in unincorporated Clark County. The commission also makes recommendations on issues such as […]
Over the past several years, members of the farming community, including Friends of Clark County, the Clark/Cowlitz Farm Bureau, local farmers market organizers, and the Clark Conservation District have expressed to Clark County the need for agricultural interests to be represented in Clark County government. Representation for Agriculture Benefits us All Currently, there are NO […]
What is a Surface Mining Overlay (SMO)? Surface mining refers to the removal of the terrain surface to access minerals underneath. An overlay “is a set of additional or stricter standards and criteria that are applied on top of existing land use designations or zoning districts” (Source). An overlay does not change the zoning that […]
Date: On or before October 22nd at 10am Context: Clark County will hold a hearing to consider a proposal to repeal the Surface Mining Overlay (SMO) ordinance that could allow mining on 330 acres of prime Tier I forestlands at Chelatchie Bluff. This proposed action to repeal the ordinance is in response to the Growth […]
For those who could make the live session, we deeply appreciate your attendance at our forum about returning to local food production in the era of climate change. It is a hopeful sign that we had such a great showing of local residents who took the time out of their evening for this discussion. Now, […]
We hate to say we told you so, but FOCC has long echoed the warnings of Clark County staff saying that retaining the illegal Chelatchie SMO would put state grant funding in jeopardy because of non-compliance with state law. Those warnings went unheeded by most of the Council, and now the county is poised to […]
Did you find yourself perplexed following the Clark County Council meeting on June 25th on the Freight Rail Dependent Uses (FRDU) consultant contract discussion, as well as the spontaneous subsequent work session on the topic the following morning? So were we! After review and investigation, we are here to break it all down for […]
What’s the issue? PVJR is seeking a Construction Stormwater NPDES and State Waste Discharge General Permit for industrial construction activities disturbing 25.79 acres of soil to be discharged into Curtin Creek in Barberton. What’s the action? Submit public comment to the Washington State Department of Ecology. Ecology reviews public comments and considers whether discharges from […]
FOCC agrees the comprehensive plan, and the development it could authorize, is likely to have many different and significant probable adverse impacts on the environment and, thus, agree with the County’s determination that an EIS is required. FOCC agrees with Futurewise that building for growth cannot take precedence over the need for maintaining, protecting, and […]
(Photo of the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad from Clark County today) Please use this information about the heavy industrial railroad and mining expansion plan to craft your letters and public testimony to the Clark County Council and wherever else you can amplify your opposition to the plan, such as Letters-to-the-Editor of the Columbian and the Reflector, […]