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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources April 10 20181 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 2 Natural Resources Committee 3 4 April 10, 2018 5 6 CALL TO ORDER 7 8 Committee Chair Todd Donovan called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the 9 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. 10 11 12 ROLL CALL 13 14 Present: Tim Ballew, Todd Donovan, Satpal Sidhu 15 Absent: None 16 Also Present: Barbara Brenner, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, and Tyler Byrd 17 18 19 SPECIAL PRESENTATION 20 21 1. BRIEFING BY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF ON THE 22 MINERAL RESOURCE LANDS COUNTY -WIDE DESIGNATION PROCESS 23 (AB2018 -090) 24 25 Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Director, introduced the 26 presentation and stated river bar mining is a conditional use. 27 28 Browne submitted a handout (on file) of an aerial photo and councilmembers 29 discussed gravel bar mining on both sides of the international border. 30 31 Joshua Fleischman, Planning and Development Services Department, submitted and 32 read from a presentation (on file). 33 34 Staff answered questions on and councilmembers discussed the possibility of 35 allowing dual designations of mining in agriculture and forestry lands; first mining in areas 36 with less impact before mining in areas that impact forestry or agricultural lands; the 37 possibility of modifying a criterion to allow mineral resource land (MRL) designation around 38 more than 50 percent of a very large forestry parcel; the differences between the current 39 and the proposed designation processes; whether there are impacts from mining on forestry 40 areas; getting review of the criteria and proposed designations from the Forestry Advisory 41 Committee, Agricultural Advisory Committee, and Mineral Resource Advisory Committee; 42 the impact of the zoning overlay on the zone; whether owners would be allowed to opt out 43 of having their land designated MRL; harvesting gravel material that naturally comes down 44 the mountains; unintended consequences that the criteria are meant to address; planning 45 for the long -term; the public involvement process; and regulations around oil and gas 46 resources. 47 48 Donovan stated that staff will bring this item to the three advisory committees, to 49 the public for recommendations, and to the Planning Commission, and bring it back to the 50 Natural Resources Committee. 51 52 53 OTHER BUSINESS Natural Resources Committee, 4/10/2018, Page 1 1 2 There was no other business. 3 4 5 ADJOURN 6 7 The meeting adjourned at 10:44 a.m. 10 A I 1 I i 0,�� ri 12 ©' 13 14 15 / 16 DangrBroWgr b10il ` Council:-Clerk 17 ....s` �. 19 ®� ®���►iisei� �e a 20 21 Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHAT/C' COUNTY, WASHINGTON Todd Donovan, Committee Chair Natural Resources Committee, 4/10/2018, Page 2