HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources July 22 20141
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Natural Resources Committee
July 22, 2014
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
(10:32:45 AM)
Present: Carl Weimer, Sam Crawford and Barry Buchanan.
Absent: None.
Also Present: Barbara Brenner, Pete Kremen, Ken Mann and Rud Browne.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF A MEMORANDUM FROM THE
FORESTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE DETAILING THE COMMITTEE'S CONCERNS
REGARDING LOSS OF FOREST LAND AND SUGGESTED MEASURES THAT CAN
BE TAKEN TO ACHIEVE NO NET -LOSS OF WORKING FORESTS (AB2014 -274)
Joshua Fleischmann, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a staff
report and stated the Forestry Advisory Committee is concerned about the loss of working
forest lands, which are lands that balance social, economic, and environmental products and
values. The amount of actual producing timberland has dropped by about 64 percent due to
several factors. The Advisory Committee memo beginning on Council packet page 3
includes recommendations that may help achieve no -net loss of working forest lands in
Whatcom County. These items may be integrated into the Comprehensive Plan through the
2016 update. They would like the Council's support similar to the statements of support for
agricultural lands.
Brenner asked about mitigation for loss of forestland from productivity. Fleischmann
stated one idea is that zoning changes that remove land from forestry should put other
lands back into productive forestry.
Brenner asked if the recommendation includes restoration of forestland that has
already been lost. Fleischmann stated the biggest concern is the loss of small acreages,
such as in the rural zone. Much of what has been lost is from the National Forest due to the
Northwest Forest Plan. That isn't something they can change. Also, 9,000 acres of matrix
lands are not available.
Brenner asked about reducing the forest /open space limit from 12 to five acres.
Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Department, stated they will
discuss options for the open space program in August.
Natural Resources Committee, 7/22/2014, Page 1
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Brenner stated ensure that timber management plans are submitted and used or
else the lands must be removed from the designation.
Mann asked for more detail on the recommended items in the memo. Personius
stated these are a menu of options that staff will continue to work on through the fall and
the 2016 Comprehensive Plan update process.
Mann stated he generally supports the bullet points, but he would like more specific
information to endorse them. He referenced the last bullet point recommendation in the
memo and asked if it is supposed to mean upzoning, not downzoning. He needs to
understand more fully what each recommendation means.
Crawford stated the point of the letter is to avoid any change of use that takes land
out of forestry. He asked how this creates a more robust forestry policy for the
Comprehensive Plan. The biggest impact to the industry was when the federal government
removed national forest land from land that can be harvested. He supports the bullet point
about supporting the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan. They must lobby
congressional representatives on that issue. He hopes there is implementation in the
Comprehensive Plan and the zoning code. Also, they discussed having a forestry
component to the park plan, which must keep view corridors and allow thinning to control
disease and fire. There is a difference between past clear cuts and modern day forestry
management, which is necessary. He approves of the recommendations in the letter.
Browne stated the letter doesn't address the conversion of forestland into residential
land, which has been a problem. The recommendations in the letter should be a
comprehensive policy for all resource lands, not just forest lands. It's not clear who would
pay for the mitigation of the loss of forest lands from productivity. Work with landowners to
make sure forest land is planted with trees that have an economic value. Provide help to
landowners whose land is planted with trees of no value.
Kremen stated he endorses the letter from the Advisory Committee. The
reconveyance did not exclude their ability to log 9,000 acres. The reconveyance only
affected about 4,000 acres that were taken out of the total acreage that could be logged in
Whatcom County, which is a small fraction of the problem. They ought to see what they
can do to free up over 200,000 acres of national forest land. It would revitalize the forest
industry.
Weimer stated he supports the information from the Forestry Advisory Committee.
He would like to see the details developed for each bullet point, particularly the difference
between protecting forests and protecting working forests. Start thinking about that
difference with agricultural lands, too.
Aubrey Stargell, Forestry Advisory Committee, stated available managed forestland
continues to shrink. He advocates that there be some kind of one -to -one mitigation for
parkland converted from management areas to non - management areas. Park advocates
need to give something up to secure more park land. Do not allow any more downzones of
any forest lands that remove a landowner's rights to build on their forest land. Global
demands for wood resources won't shrink. Keep supplying that demand locally. The
Council must implement the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Federal and
State park lands are the biggest source of the removal of working forest lands. They need
to operate, not to receive subsidies.
Natural Resources Committee, 7/22/2014, Page 2
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Kremen stated they don't know how much longer the County will receive payment -
in- lieu -of -taxes (PILT) money from the federal government. What they do receive in PILT
funds is a fraction of actual equitable compensation.
Mann asked for scientific evidence that shows managed timber land helps wildlife
habitat diversity. Stargell stated that wildlife habitat diversity requires a diverse forest that
includes new growth in addition to old growth.
Browne asked the Advisory Committee's position on upzoning and private
landowners converting working forests to residential. Stargell stated preserve a
landowner's ability to build a home on ten acres. Some of those owners do a good job
managing those parcels. They don't advocate for private owners to have to mitigate and
add forest land when they develop an acre or two of a parcel. Building rights should remain
the same. The impact of losing five- or ten -acre parcels pales in comparison to the impact
of losing thousands of acres that go to park lands and preserves.
Brenner asked about oxygen production, given factors such as type and age of trees.
Stargell stated there are five to seven native tree species. It's appropriate to thin the
lesser - valued species. The faster growing trees sequester more carbon. Older trees don't
provide net carbon sequestering.
Gerry Millman, Forestry Advisory Committee, stated the committee will continue to
develop the detail of the bullet items in its memo. The Northwest Forest Plan included a
certain amount of acreage and timber the federal government would produce. The federal
government is not following the Northwest Forest Plan. Make the federal government follow
the plan. The Council must understand that 4,000 acres of land is not small. It would run
his sawmill for eight years.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.
ATTEST:
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Barry Buchanan, Committee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 7/22/2014, Page 3