Railroad – Friends of Clark County in SW Washington

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 […]

May 19, 2024

It’s All Connected: The Freight Rail Dependent Uses (FRDU), the Chelatchie Bluff Mine, Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR), and the Climate Crisis

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

(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, […]

April 3, 2024

Consolidated Report: Chelatchie Bluff Mine and Surrounding Industrial Plan

in Accountability, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests, Mining, Parks, Trails, & Open Spaces, Position Statements & Policy Recommendations, Railroad, Rivers, Lakes & Aquifers, Wildlife Habitats

Over the past 18 months, experts in the fields of hydrology, fish and wildlife, forestry, geology, and hydraulic engineering have collaborated to consolidate a report on the proposed surface mining on Chelatchie Bluff and the surrounding areas. The author and contributors conclude that should the Chelatchie Bluff mine be able to expand, it would mean […]

February 27, 2024

Freight Rail Dependent Uses (FRDU) Update – February 2024

in Mining, Position Statements & Policy Recommendations, Railroad, Rivers, Lakes & Aquifers, Wildlife Habitats

Quite a bit has happened regarding the railroad since our last newsletter that included a background on the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR), and the Freight Rail Dependent Uses (FRDU) controversy, as well as FOCC’s position on the matter. You can read up on those here before reading on for the latest […]

February 26, 2024

Legislative Update – February 2024

in Climate Change, Housing & Transportation, Position Statements & Policy Recommendations, Railroad, Responsible Development

The mid-session cutoff in the Washington State Legislature happened on February 13th. This means that the bills that did not get voted out of their chamber of origin are considered dead. There exists a chance for bills to be resurrected in the budget process, but this is rare. Following is an update on bills that […]

February 26, 2024

Responsible Planning for Growth: The 2025 Comprehensive Plan – February 2024 update

in Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Housing & Transportation, Parks, Trails, & Open Spaces, Position Statements & Policy Recommendations, Railroad, Responsible Development

What is the Comp Plan? The Growth Management Act (GMA) was adopted in 1990 to address growth in Washington State. Cities in counties over a certain size must do periodic Comp Plan updates in accordance with the GMA, while smaller counties may choose to do so. Cities within a county that plans under the GMA […]

December 29, 2023

Our Position on the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR) and How YOU Can Help

in Farmland & Forests, Mining, Position Statements & Policy Recommendations, Railroad, Wildlife Habitats

Friends of Clark County holds that Clark County should take the necessary steps to terminate the existing lease with the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR).

December 29, 2023

Everything you Wish you Knew about the Railroad Controversy in Clark County

in Farmland & Forests, Mining, Position Statements & Policy Recommendations, Railroad, Wildlife Habitats

History of Freight Rail Dependent Use (FRDU) In 2017, the WA State Legislature passed Senate Bill 5517 allowing development “adjacent” to short line railroads in Clark and Okanogan counties.