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Task force forms small group to streamline goals and objectives for county forest plan
Summary
Whatcom County Forest Resilience Task Force members agreed April 14 to form a small group that will propose a process to reduce redundancy in goals and to harmonize objectives; volunteers from several subcommittees offered to meet and return a process proposal for the full task force to consider.
The Whatcom County Forest Resilience Task Force on April 14 agreed to form a small working group to recommend how to reduce redundancy and harmonize goals and objectives in the draft Forest Resilience Plan. Melanie (Consultant, Triangle) proposed a focused approach: a subgroup made up of representatives from the task force’s subcommittees should draft a process and, if useful, initial edits, then bring recommendations to the full task force.
Why it matters: multiple task force members said the current goals and objectives contain overlapping language that could dilute the plan’s clarity for county decision-makers. Jim (Task force member) urged consolidation: “Many of these goals are redundant. And if I was on council and I read this, it would lose credibility,” he said.
What the group will do Volunteers and roles (as stated during the meeting): Oliver (Task force member), Ellen (Task force member), Jen (Task force member), Tom (Task force member), and Brandy (Task force member) offered to participate in the subgroup. Melanie said the subgroup should attempt to meet before the next full task force meeting and return a recommended process for how to address redundancy and prioritization; she did not expect a final, fully edited set of goals from that first subgroup meeting.
Diverging views on timing Some members supported immediate work by the smaller group so the writing team and full task force have clearer goals to align objectives and actions. Others, including Brandy and Jen, said it may be premature to finalize goal consolidation before subcommittees complete action-level drafting and suggested the subgroup focus first on a recommended process and timeline.
Next steps - The subgroup will coordinate a first meeting; Jen volunteered to schedule and to request contact information from staff. - Melanie and staff will provide relevant purpose statements and plan schedule materials to the subgroup. - The subgroup will present a proposal for the full task force to consider at the next meeting; any recommended changes to goals or objectives will be considered by the full task force before being finalized.
No formal vote was recorded; members agreed by consensus to form the subgroup and identified volunteers.
