Clallam County committee weighs charter amendment requiring review when land moves to federal trust

Commissioner Richards, a member of the Clallam County Charter Review Commission Land Acquisition Committee, opened a public hearing Thursday with a reminder that the panel lacked a quorum and could not take formal action but would hear public input on a proposed charter amendment that would require the county to analyze and formally comment on transfers of property from the tax rolls to federal trust status.

The amendment under discussion would add a requirement for an analysis of the pros and cons of transfers into federal trust, require that analysis be included as an element of the county comprehensive plan, and require county commissioners to respond to Bureau of Indian Affairs requests for comment. Richards said the federal process currently asks counties to comment and that, “If there's no comment from the governments at least, the BIA assumes everything is fine, and that the governments actually approve the transfer.”

Why it matters: speakers tied the proposed change to local tax revenue, land-use authority and county planning. Committee members and public…