HomeMy WebLinkAboutClimate Action Sep 26 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 26, 2023
8:50 AM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 9:40 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 26, 2023
Resources Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 8:51 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
1. A132023-_597 Presentation on the sustainability of Whatcom County forests
Ellyn Murphy, Climate Impact Advisory Committee Chair, read from a
presentation (on file) and answered questions. She answered whether
managing forests for maximum sustained yield of timber versus managing
by maximizing return on investment is to make an argument that, with
longer rotation cycles, we would be growing bigger trees that could result
in more mass (or cross -laminated) timber, and she stated it is not
necessarily related to mass timber but it would be better for the climate.
She answered questions about the Climate Impact Advisory Committee's
(CIAC) recommendations on planting for climate management and
adaptation. She also answered whether funds from the Climate Commitment
Act to support transaction costs of getting a carbon market established are
being used in practice now for a functioning market and whether they are
designed for private land owners or for beneficiary districts for land that the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) might administer. She stated, to
her knowledge, the Legislature has not decided yet how to disburse those
funds and this is just a suggested use of the funds.
Councilmembers discussed the presentation with Murphy and the
following:
• Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office
They discussed the CIAC recommendation of hiring a sustainable forestry
staff member, and Murphy's perspective on the management of and
regulations associated with DNR-managed lands and how DNR is doing.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
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Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final September 26, 2023
Resources Committee
Committee Discussion
1. A1202;3 54 i Discussion of a proposed ordinance to establish a Forestry Task Force
Galloway briefed the Councilmembers on the ordinance and the intent
behind establishing this task force.
Tyler Schroeder, Director of Administrative Services, stated the
Administration has been coordinating with the departments on what
Whatcom County currently does as it relates to forest management and how
we could expand that focus to make it more of a core service. He stated
staff and the Administration see three components in the purpose and
function of the task force:
• Climate resiliency
• Forest management on County lands
• Department of Natural Resources (DNR) trust lands
He stated the Administration is concerned with the overall administration of
this Forest Resilience Task Force as it relates to the Forestry Advisory
Committee (FAC). Working together to combine those and providing this
timeline up to 2025 may be something we should talk through as well. He
stated the Council as a whole could maybe provide a little bit more guidance
to the FAC and open up the membership, and identify deliverables for the
Forest Resilience Task Force that the Council would like to see back by the
update of the Comprehensive Plan.
Councilmembers and staff discussed the difference between the draft
ordinance and the substitute ordinance, the hope of getting guidance from
the task force regarding climate impacts on the forest in the watershed,
whether this was formally run through and reviewed by the FAC, whether the
two committees should be combined, having further discussion on the
timeline for the Request for Proposals to develop a forest management plan
for Lake Whatcom Park, and asking for recommendations from the various
advisory committees and commissions listed in the ordinance.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
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Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final September 26, 2023
Resources Committee
Adiournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:46 a.m.
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p V y, WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Kayle ' Galloway -via email
Dana Btov � l �4 rancil Clerk Kaylee Galloway, Committee Chair
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
10/2/2023
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