The Board of Clallam County Commissioners on Sept. 16 approved the consent agenda that included the Dungeness River Management Team roster amid public objections from Sequim residents and others who asked for new voices on the team.

Several residents spoke during public comment to oppose the roster appointments and to urge a different county representative. "I oppose the new appointments because they're just reshuffling alternates, and we need a new voice," said John Worthington of Sequim during public comment. Multiple speakers raised concerns about whether current roster members represent county interests and whether tribal and conservation partners exercise disproportionate influence.

Why it matters: The Dungeness River Management Team coordinates local responses to drought and stream‑flow issues that affect irrigation, property owners and salmon habitat. After public comment, Commissioner Mark Ozias reported on the team’s recent work, focusing on drought response strategies, monitoring and funding.

Ozias said the team discussed a dry‑leasing program in which irrigators are paid not to irrigate, leaving more water in the river in drought years. He described joint action between Washington Water Trust and the Clallam Conservation District to secure about $450,000 for the dry‑lease program, and said the Clallam Conservation District obtained up to $200,000 of that funding from the Washington Department of Ecology. Ozias said the dry‑lease effort was “effective in maintaining about 8.2 cubic feet per second of flow in the river.”

Ozias also described "pulse flows," short coordinated shutdowns of irrigation intakes intended to mimic rain events: "for either an 18 hour or a 24 hour period ... those full flows result in" higher volumes that help fish move and forage, he said, and added the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe increased its investment in monitoring this year and is tagging fish to assess outcomes.

What was decided: The roster was included on the consent agenda and the consent agenda was approved without separate roll call on item 1E. The meeting record shows the consent agenda was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Public comments: Opponents urged either a new county appointee or disbanding the team. Jeff Tozer of Sequim said the county’s representative has too many outside board commitments to provide adequate oversight and accused local conservation entities of presenting misleading numbers; Kenneth Riambo (representing Angeles) asked why the property selection and right‑of‑way issue related to the public‑safety site was being handled now and questioned the courthouse‑security allocation. Bowen (PO Box 11, Clallam Bay) also said he did not understand the county’s ongoing participation in the team.

Background: Commissioner Ozias said the monthly management‑team meeting focused on strategies used during a drought declared for the region on June 5. He listed partnership activity and monitoring efforts; Ozias said the team expects more detailed monitoring information later in the year.

Ending: The Dungeness River Management Team roster was approved as part of the consent agenda on Sept. 16. Commissioners and residents signaled continuing disagreement over representation and science on the team; Ozias said the team will continue monitoring dry‑lease and pulse‑flow strategies and will report additional results when available.