HomeMy WebLinkAboutClimate Action Sep 12 2023Whatcom County
Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
9AM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 10:15 A.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON,
SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil,
OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final September 12, 2023
Resources Committee
Cali To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.
in a hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Kaylee Galloway
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Carol Frazey, and Kathy Kershner
Announcements
Special Presentation
AB202:3-56 7 Presentation from Lauren Clemens, Climate Action Manager, regarding the Whatcom
County Climate Action Program 2023 Workplan
Lauren Clemens, Climate Action Manager, read from a presentation (on
file) and answered a question about the interlocal evaluating siting options
for electric vehicle charging infrastructure countywide (AB2023-572) on
the Finance agenda today. She answered whether they would be finding
private vendors or whether they would be doing public charging
infrastructure.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
2. A132023_-534 Presentation regarding DNR Trust Land Management in Whatcom County
Duane Emmons, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Assistant Deputy
Supervisor for State Uplands, read from a presentation (on file) and
answered how the beneficiaries became beneficiaries, whether
beneficiaries have a say in how the lands are managed, who decided on the
conservation areas and protections in the Lake Whatcom watershed, the
meaning of long-term deferral, and what percentage of all the
DNR-managed lands are not in conservation.
Councilmembers, Emmons, and Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office,
discussed the idea of how beneficiaries have a say in how the lands are
being managed on their behalf and how revenue is allocated, recognizing
that different counties may have different priorities and values and that
management is becoming less of a one -size -fits -all approach, refining the
map and community dialog about how many properties in the ownership of
DNR can be harvested and for what purposes, whether there is a process to
be able to switch State lands with Federal lands and to transfer the
harvesting in those Federal areas in Whatcom County and then maybe
protect some of the State lands that are in the watershed (or in different
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Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final September 12, 2023
Resources Committee
locations), following up with DNR around timeline and implications of the
Climate Commitment Act funding, and getting an update on the carbon pilot
project.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
Committee Discussion
1. A 02 3- 54I Discussion of a proposed ordinance to establish a Forestry Task Force
Galloway briefed the Councilmembers on the draft ordinance and its
purpose.
Councilmembers discussed whether the sunset clause (September 2025)
allows for enough time, how much the task force would cost the County,
whether we have staff that are available to serve on a task force like this,
whether this is something the existing Forestry Advisory Committee (FAC)
could have taken on within their own structure, whether Whatcom County
would be managing their own forests, whether the discussion should be
brought back to this committee on the next meeting date, whether they
should be focusing resources and energy on issues that seem more pressing
for the county, and the importance of also looking at long-range issues.
Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered whether the Administration
is OK with a timeline of discussing this further on September 26th and
stated that would work.
Galloway asked that they keep this in mind as they have discussions about
budget priorities later today.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 10:23 a.m.
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Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final September 12, 2023
Resources Committee
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