HomeMy WebLinkAboutClimate Action Mar 5 2024Whatcom 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, March 5, 2024
10:20 AM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 10:35 A.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON,
SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil,
OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Kaylee Galloway
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final March 5, 2024
Resources Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 10:20
a.m. in a hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Kaylee Galloway, and Mark Stremler
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Announcements
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2024- l { 1 Request approval for the County Executive to act as the authorized representative for
the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) Community Forest Program Grant
#22-1301
Chris Elder, Public Works Department, read from a presentation (on file)
on the Stewart Mountain Community Forest and the phases of acquisition.
The item before them today authorizes the County Executive to serve as the
signatory for the $3 million Recreation and Conservation Office grant. He
stated Whatcom County was also awarded a $5.517 million streamflow
restoration grant for which they are in process of finalizing a grant
agreement, and they have a target Phase Two acquisition date of June of
2025. He then highlighted adjacent land ownership of the community forest
area.
He answered whether there is Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land
inside of the acquisition area and stated there is. He answered whether the
two grants will be sufficient for the whole Phase Two acquisition and stated
it does not get us to the full amount but gets us to around 3,000 (of the total
5,500) acres in ownership. He answered who has been managing the land in
Phase One since it was acquired, and whether all of the proposed Stewart
Mountain Community Forest land is privately owned by Timber
Conservation Resources (previously "Forestry") LLC, and he stated it is,
with the exception of the Phase One area and all the DNR-owned portion in
green (on the presentation map). He answered what he sees for the
management of all of this land should this move forward, and stated they
have not proposed long-term ownership but have hired local consultants for
Phase One to help do a forest and road inventory, help develop the forest
management plan, and ultimately contract with local foresters. He answered
how he sees the intention to manage the property as a working forest
working with the goals that he mentioned in his presentation. He stated
Whatcom County Page I
Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final March 5, 2024
Resources Committee
there has been a realization in the past decade or more that just putting a
forest in preservation status does not, in and of itself, improve the
ecosystem or improve watershed health. If we have the ability to actively
manage the forests, we have the ability to hopefully enhance watershed
health and ecosystem variables.
Donovan stated there has been discussion on the Council about having some
coordinated management between the reconveyance lands, these lands, and
other forests.
Donovan moved that the request for the Executive to act as representative
for the Recreation and Conservation Office grant be RECOMMENDED
FOR AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Galloway, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 10:34 a.m.
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
Kaylee Galloway, Committee Chair
Whatcom County Page 2