Mining – Friends of Clark County in SW Washington

January 20, 2025

Friends of Clark County Public Comment on the Climate Community Advisory Group’s Draft Goals and Policies

in Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Local Food Systems, Mining

Hello Clark County staff, CAG, and Environmental Justice Coalition (EJC) members, FOCC thanks you for your work thus far to create goals and policies for protecting Clark County residents, especially our children and grandchildren, from the dire impacts of the climate emergency by working together to recommend adaptation and mitigation measures. We recognize all of […]

January 11, 2025

SAVE THE DATE AND REGISTER: “The Future of Forests and Trees in Clark County in Light of Climate Change” Forum

in Climate Change, Farmland & Forests, Mining

Forum Date and Time: Thursday, January 30th from 5 – 6:30 pm Pacific Time Location: Remote Only via Zoom. Register via Eventbrite here. Description: Join Friends of Clark County for a panel discussion on the importance of preserving and growing our forests, as well as implementing a plan to plant and maintain our tree canopy. […]

December 2, 2024

FOCC Supports Friends of the Columbia Gorge Against 356th Public Road Dedication Request by Zimmerly Mining

in Accountability, Climate Change, Mining, Rivers, Lakes & Aquifers, Wildlife Habitats

(Photo from Friends of the Columbia Gorge) For a brief background on this issue, read the Columbian’s coverage here. Read Friends of the Columbia Gorge’s history of Zimmerly’s egregious and illegal behavior here. Continue reading to review Friends of Clark County’s public comment submitted for the 356th Avenue road dedication decision: Friends of Clark County, […]

October 23, 2024

Fall Comprehensive Plan Update

in Accountability, Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Housing & Transportation, Local Food Systems, Mining

Photo from Clark County government Link to Clark County’s 2025 Comprehensive Planning page here: 2025 Update | Clark County (wa.gov) In our last update, the County had adopted the Population and Employment allocation, which determines what future population and job numbers each of the cities and the county need to plan for. The county had […]

October 23, 2024

Update and Background on the Chelatchie Bluff Surface Mining Overlay (SMO) on Forestland

in Accountability, Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Mining

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 […]

October 18, 2024

CALL-TO-ACTION ON THE CHELATCHIE BLUFF SURFACE MINING OVERLAY ON 330 ACRES OF FOREST LAND ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22ND

in Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Mining

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 […]

August 9, 2024

BREAKING: Clark County’s Decision to Retain the Illegal Chelatchie Surface Mining Overlay (SMO) Risks Millions in Grants and Loans from Washington State for Non-Compliance

in Accountability, Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Mining

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 […]

July 8, 2024

The Freight Rail Dependent Uses (FRDU), a Changing Landscape, and the Vacant Buildable Lands Model (VBLM): Breakdown of the June 26th Clark County Council Decision, What’s Next, and Call to Action!

in Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Mining, Railroad, Responsible Development

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 […]

June 18, 2024

FRDU CALL-TO-ACTION to Protect Clark County from Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR) and Eric Temple: Write a Letter to Ecology Opposing PVJR’s Stormwater Permit Application for Barberton (DUE JUNE 22ND)

in Accountability, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Mining, Railroad, Responsible Development, Rivers, Lakes & Aquifers

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 […]

June 10, 2024

Our Comments for Clark County’s Environmental Impact Scoping on the Comprehensive Plan Update

in Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Local Food Systems, Mining, Parks, Trails, & Open Spaces, Railroad, Responsible Development, Rivers, Lakes & Aquifers, Wildlife Habitats

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 […]