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Commissioners discuss forest stewardship, timber revenue and plans to rehire a county forester
Summary
County leaders discussed options to restore timber-receipt revenue — including Good Neighbor Authority contracts, master stewardship and rehiring a forester — and planned to wait for NEPA decisions before committing to a new hire or contracts.
Skamania County commissioners used their Tuesday meeting to review options for restoring timber-derived revenue and to discuss re-establishing a county forester post, officials said.
Commissioners and staff outlined three approaches under discussion: conventional timber sales, Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) contracts with the U.S. Forest Service, and a master-stewardship arrangement that would make the county the stewardship contract holder. County officials said changes in federal and state programs — and passage of an “Explore Act” earlier this year that expands permitted uses of some receipts — broaden options for using receipts for recreation and other county projects.
County leaders emphasized that the timing of several National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisions will influence whether a forester position can be sustained. Staff said current budgeted funds would support a forester for about a year and that the county hopes to have revenue from new contract work or sales before the position’s funding would be exhausted.
“Rather than hiring a new graduate, we should hire someone with more experience that has done some of this work already,” one commissioner said, paraphrasing staff advice. The county’s plan is to recruit an experienced forester who could “hit the ground running,” supported by the state GNA group if the county moves forward with contracts.
Officials said the county must also weigh how state DNR and federal programs use receipts; in some GNA or stewardship models the county’s share of receipts can differ. Staff discussed scenarios under which a master-stewardship role could raise the county’s share from a typical 25% to up to 35%, but noted those figures depend on contract specifics and program rules.
The board also discussed fuel-reduction efforts, including proposals for shaded-fuel breaks up to several hundred feet from roads, and a range of noncommercial fuel reduction up to 7-inch diameter within 500 feet of many roads. County staff and a Forest Service supervisor discussed commercial thinning projects and longer-term timber-supply planning intended to stabilize local mill supply.
Officials raised concerns that some forestry-related receipts have not flowed to local taxing districts in the same way as under previous models. Commissioners and staff said they will pursue conversations with the Forest Service and governor’s office about options — including potential transfers of school-trust acres — and plan to wait for resolution of several NEPA actions (including a Little White Salmon watershed NEPA and a forest-wide commercial thinning NEPA) before finalizing a hiring strategy.
No formal motion or vote on hiring or contracts was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to continue negotiating with federal and state partners and to return with recommendations after NEPA decisions and further revenue analysis.
