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Thurston County advances update to countywide planning policies to formalize tribal coordination
Summary
County staff and Thurston Regional Planning Council recommended amendments to the Countywide Planning Policies that add explicit tribal coordination, definitions, and environmental protections; commissioners heard the briefing and expect an adoption vote during the afternoon meeting.
Thurston County commissioners heard a briefing Tuesday on proposed amendments to the Countywide Planning Policies that formally add tribal coordination, definitions and provisions for protecting tribal cultural resources.
The update is driven by changes in state law and would, among other items, require jurisdictions to recognize tribal sovereignty while collaborating on utilities, transportation and economic development planning. Allison Lisonbee Osterberg, planning manager with the Thurston Regional Planning Council, told commissioners the changes are intended to put existing practices into policy.
"The county wide planning policies also guide how we coordinate around comprehensive plans," Lisonbee Osterberg said, describing the policies as a regional coordination framework. She said the change traces to state action (referred to in the briefing as "HP 17 17," dated 2022) that requires greater tribal coordination in comprehensive-plan processes.
The proposed amendments add a definition of "tribes" in the preamble, a requirement in the general policies to collaborate with tribes and a clarification in environmental policies that references rivers, creeks, fish habitat and passage. The update also explicitly invites federally recognized tribes and federal agencies with reservation or ceded lands to participate in policy updates and makes tribes members of the Urban Growth Management (UGM) subcommittee going forward.
TRPC staff said they engaged tribal staff from the Squaxin Island Tribe, the Nisqually Indian Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis, and also consulted the Department of Commerce tribal liaison and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission during drafting. Commissioners asked about implementation steps and timelines for adding tribal representatives to the UGM subcommittee; TRPC staff said invitations and outreach already are underway and that the subcommittee will include tribal representatives for future reviews.
Commissioner Klaus thanked the presenters and asked about recruitment and timing; TRPC staff said the change mostly formalizes existing collaborative practices and that routine outreach will continue when UGM meets on relevant topics. Commissioners were told the county has already coordinated with tribes on recent comprehensive-plan matters and that no radical procedural changes are expected beyond the formal invitation and recognition of tribal government status.
The item was presented as a briefing ahead of the Board's afternoon meeting where the resolution to amend the Countywide Planning Policies was listed for consent; TRPC staff and county planners said a public briefing with Thurston Regional Planning Council would follow at 10:00 a.m.
The Countywide Planning Policy amendments are scheduled for the Board's consent agenda later the same day.
