PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners today will discuss concerns from environmental groups about the composition of an advisory board that will study how the state manages its forest trust lands in the county.
The three commissioners this month appointed 15 members to an ad hoc advisory committee that will analyze the possibility of re-conveying state Department of Natural Resources trust lands back to the county for management.
The county Charter Review Commission recommended the panel as a way to help DNR boost revenue from timber sales that benefit the county and junior taxing districts like hospitals, libraries and fire districts.
Members were appointed to represent the Port of Port Angeles, school districts, DNR, junior taxing districts, Society of American Foresters, Clallam County granges, the League of Women Voters, Clallam County Republicans and Democrats, the North Olympic Timber Action Committee, city of Forks, environmental groups and each commissioner district.
An opening for an Olympic Forest Coalition representative has not been filled.
Concerns from environmental groups were relayed to the board by Matthew Randazzo, senior advisor to Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark.
Randazzo in a Wednesday email said he met with environmental advocates and organizations that decided not to engage with the Trust Lands Advisory Committee “because of what they felt was an apparent imbalance in the committee, where there are multiple taxing district and industry representatives and not anything approaching that on the other side.”
“As far as I am aware, conservation NGOs (non-governmental organizations) like The Nature Conservancy and Trust for Public Land and Forterra and Sustainable Northwest, which all work heavily with DNR and know our business extremely well, were not contacted,” Randazzo wrote.
“I’m writing to share this message I was given and let you know there is interest in further dialogue to hopefully ensure that all members of Clallam’s community participate in a robust manner in this incredibly important dialogue.”
Commissioners, who have said the committee should be well-balanced with representatives from all sides of the political spectrum, will discuss the memo in their work session at 9 a.m. today.
Commissioner Bill Peach noted there is only one position left to fill. He said the county contacted all of the groups on a proposed list of members provided by the Charter Review Commission.
“I believe the next step will be for that group to meet,” Peach said of the trust lands committee.
“I’m hoping they will meet in the next few weeks. It’s that group that the commissioners will listen to.”
In a related matter, commissioners Tuesday will consider a resolution clarifying the appointment of Cynthia Bork as the representative of environmental groups on the trust lands committee.
The original resolution inferred that Bork worked for the U.S. Forest Service.
Peach said Bork works for a watchdog organization that keeps tabs on the Forest Service.
Meanwhile, DNR officials will present a quarterly report on timber sales to the board at 10 a.m. today.
DNR manages about 92,525 acres of state forest lands that benefit Clallam County and its junior taxing districts.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
