News From Your Friends

What’s on our Radar – Week of February 3rd, 2025

February 3, 2025 in Climate Change, Comprehensive Plan & Growth Management Act, Farmland & Forests
    • 1/28: Multiple County residents raised concerns around documentation and witness accounts of expansion of law enforcement activities (chemical agents, storage and detonation of explosives, activities outside of the firing range) at Camp Bonneville that defies the use restrictions on the County’s largest conservation land, conflicts with Camp Bonneville’s categorization in the PROS Plan, and risks the health, safety, and well-being of County residents (most notably the risk of wildfire). Staff announced that the consideration of a new FBI contract (which will include expansion of law enforcement’s footprint) will come before the Council very soon. There are a lot of Camp Bonneville developments happening and we are working to get a handle on them. Until then, see FOCC’s previous letter to the Council regarding Camp Bonneville management concerns: https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/focc-asks-clark-county-to-take-important-steps-in-management-of-camp-bonneville/
    • 1/29: Local climate advocate, Don Steinke, moved forward for consideration for a seat on the Planning Commission. Congratulations, Don! 
    • 1/29: After FOCC, ACE, Sierra Club, and others successfully lobbied for the Clark County Council to send a letter to the Department of Natural Resources asking for a pause of the Dabbler legacy forest timber sale and have a conversation about forest management priorities, staff reported to the Council that the Commissioner of Public Lands allowed Dabbler to move through and be auctioned anyway. The Council moved to continue pursuing DNR on this issue. Be sure to see our Dabbler section below and follow through on our urgent action item related to saving the Dabbler!
    • FOCC’s forum on forests, trees, and the climate crisis was last week. We had an amazing panel discussion with Joshua Wright from the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, Hunter Decker from Clark County, Adela Miller from Friends of Trees, and facilitated by our own Mary Goody. Couldn’t make it? No problem! You can watch the forum recording here: https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/watch-our-january-2025-forum-the-future-of-forests-and-trees-in-clark-county-in-light-of-climate-change/
  • Council meetings: 
    • Tomorrow, 2/4 at 10am is a Clark County Council meeting in which there is a public hearing on the Rules of Procedure. FOCC finds nothing else of note relating to our priorities on this agenda. There is an Open Public Comment opportunity.
    • Wednesday, 2/5 at 9am is a Work Session on Department Overviews and a Work Session on the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update, including the Community Planning Work Program and the 2025 Project Schedule. We highly encourage folks to tune into this meeting to familiarize yourself with the Comp Plan and where we are in the process!
    • 2/5 at 1pm is Council Time. Nothing of note on the agenda, but Council Time includes Councilor Reports and Policy Updates where we often get tipped off on future business, and oftentimes subjects that get brought forward are not included in the agenda, so FOCC will be watching just in case!
    • Deep dive into the week’s meeting agenda, including how to participate, here: https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings
  • Urgent Dabbler Action Item: As noted above, the Dabbler timber sale of legacy forest in Clark County was auctioned last week, despite mass local opposition and against the wishes of the Clark County Council, who sent a letter to the DNR asking for postponement of the selling off of County trust land. PLEASE CALL AND/OR EMAIL the Office of the Commissioner of Public Lands at (360) 902-1000 and cpl@dnr.wa.gov to tell them to save the Dabbler and all remaining legacy forest units in Clark County!
  • Reminder on the Clark County Climate Project: FOCC has submitted our comments urging important improvements regarding protections of forest, agricultural land, water, and setting the necessary greenhouse gas reduction goals to the the policy list, which you can view on our website:

https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/friends-of-clark-county-public-comment-on-the-climate-community-advisory-groups-draft-goals-and-policies/

FOCC would appreciate any public support for our changes to the policy list prior to the next CAG meeting. Your comment can be as simple as “I support FOCC’s requested changes to the draft Goals and Policies.” https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/comp-plan-comments

Heads up on other advisory board and commission meetings:

See you next week!
Karissa
FOCC Community Outreach

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