HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources February 9 20161 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Natural Resources Committee
3
4 February 9, 2016
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6 CALL TO ORDER
7
8 Committee Chair Carl Weimer called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the Council
9 Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
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11
12 ROLL CALL
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14 Present: Carl Weimer, Satpal Sidhu, Todd Donovan
15 Absent: None
16 Also Present: Barbara Brenner, Barry Buchanan and Rud Browne
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18 The motion carried by the following vote:
19 Ayes: Donovan, Weimer, and Sidhu (3)
20 Nays: None (0)
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22
23 OTHER BUSINESS
24
25 The committee discussed the schedule for discussing the various chapters of the
26 Comprehensive Plan and the appropriate time to get councilmember questions about the
27 proposed changes.
28
29 The following staff answered questions:
30 • Forrest Longman, Council Office
31 • Mark Personius, Planning and Development Department
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33
34 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
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36 1, BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CHAPTERS,
37 RESOURCE LANDS (FOCUS ON THE FORESTRY AND MINERAL RESOURCE
38 LANDS SECTIONS) (AB2016 -047H)
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40 Joshua Fleischmann, Planning and Development Department, submitted and read
41 from a presentation (on file).
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43 Mark Personius, Planning and Development Department, answered questions.
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45 The councilmembers discussed forest lands that are productive versus forest lands
46 used for other purposes, the possibility of adverse impacts from gravel mines, and finding
47 the right balance between protecting the different types of resource lands.
48
49 The councilmembers also discussed policy 8F -9 and replacing lost natural resource
50 lands; the impact of and how binding are the Comprehensive Plan's goals and policies;
51 whether agriculture is an acceptable use of forest land, and if certain forestry uses can be
52 allowed on agricultural land; defining an appropriate conversion of forest land to another
53 use in the zoning code; determining the actual amount of forest land that is in productive
Natural Resources Committee, 2/9/2016, Page 1
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forestry use; quantifying the amount of workable resource lands; and overhauling the open
space tax break public benefit rating system.
The councilmembers discussed new Policy 8F -11 and defining forest land that will
become harvested. They also discussed new policy 8F -12 and whether this would pass a
policy to mitigate for buffers in agricultural and forestlands; the possibility of the Forest
Service closing many logging roads and the resulting impacts; and defining mitigation.
Councilmembers discussed Policy 8L -2 and defining an adequate buffer of a mineral
extraction operation from a residential area and the number of 10 -acre parcels that would
be impacted.
Weimer stated add language to Policy 8Q -1 to try to identify mineral resources and
then designate what they want to protect.
Browne stated he would like to know the best practices from other areas around the
country.
Brenner stated use the data from British Columbia that shows it's okay to dredge
gravel from the river, so Whatcom County can resume dredging gravel. Fleishmann stated
people can apply to do that now, but it's not feasible due to the number of required permits.
The councilmembers discussed whether digging gravel out of the river is beneficial.
Fleishmann presented on the Mineral Resource Land (MRL) designation criteria 1 and
2. Councilmembers discussed the reason for the change from 20 acres to 10 acres if it's not
feasible.
Fleishmann concluded the presentation on a review of mineral resource lands
countywide.
Weimer stated make sure that any suggestions for language changes go also to the
Council's policy analyst.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
Dare Breydh_,Qqujs.,'Council -Clerk
— -- f,
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Carl Weimer, Committee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 2/9/2016, Page 2