PORT ANGELES — Two Clallam County commissioners have backed their freshman colleague in his bid to be the Washington State Association of Counties representatives on the Board of Natural Resources.
First-year Commissioner Jim McEntire threw his hat into the ring in an April 13 letter to timber county leaders.
The influential Board of Natural Resources sets policies that guide how the state Department of Natural Resources manages its lands and resources.
Commissioners Mike Doherty and Mike Chapman voted for McEntire on Tuesday.
“What I will bring to this board, if I am honored to serve you in this capacity, is a focus on the best net return on assets possible, consistent with sustained revenue,” McEntire wrote in his letter.
Large stake
In a follow-up interview, McEntire said he sought the position because Clallam County has a disproportionately large stake in DNR policy positions.
“Clallam County has got twice as much land subject to the Natural Resources jurisdiction than any other timber county,” McEntire said.
Clallam County has 92,525 acres of state forest trust land — or 15 percent — of the 625,894 acres statewide.
By comparison, Jefferson County has 14,703 acres of state forest trust land.
“Clallam County has got, by far and away, the largest stake in this thing,” McEntire said.
McEntire is a former Port of Port Angeles commissioner who has been working on timber issues for years.
If elected, he said, he would work to achieve a balance between environmental protection and economic activity.
“In my personal view, we’ve gone as far as we need to go to ensure that harvest activity does not unduly damage the environment,” he said, citing the State Environmental Policy Act.
Wild Olympics
McEntire said his appointment also would give Clallam County a voice on important local issues such as the Wild Olympics Campaign, a land and scenic preservation plan that would have allowed privately owned timberland to be absorbed into Olympic National Park.
A revised plan — proposed by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Bothell, and U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, a Belfair Democrat whose 6th Congressional District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties — would prevent 20,000 acres of privately owned land from being absorbed into the park under “willing-buyer, willing-seller” purchase arrangements.
McEntire, an outspoken critic of the original proposal, described the new plan as “a lot less objectionable, and that’s good.”
The other candidate vying to replace the departing Jon Kaino on the Board of Natural Resources is fifth-year Lewis County Commissioner Lee Grose.
Each timber county gets one vote on Kaino’s replacement. Counties had the option of fractionalizing their vote by individual commissioner or casting a collective ballot as Clallam County did.
“One of our seatmates has put in for it, and I think that it would be important to support him, and it would probably be good for Clallam County,” Chapman said in Tuesday’s work session.
“I’m fully prepared to support our own local nominee.”
Doherty said Clallam County has not had a commissioner representing the Washington State Association of Counties on the Board of Natural Resources in recent memory.
Results Wednesday
A state Association of Counties canvassing board will certify the election results Wednesday.
After speaking with Kaino, McEntire said the job would require an eight- to 10-hour time commitment per month.
He said it would be “more than possible” to manage both responsibilities.
McEntire said he did not know whether board members are reimbursed.
He told his fellow commissioners that the six-member Board of Natural Resources meets at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday of the month in Olympia.
Clallam County commissioners hold their business meeting every Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Chapman said the county would work around the time conflict.
“This is one of the most important committees, boards, that a county commissioner would have the honor of representing the association [on],” Chapman said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
