Clallam taxing districts press DNR on trust-lands pause, Elwha watershed study and Title III notice

Public comment and a subsequent staff discussion at a Clallam County taxing-district meeting focused on the fate of trust lands, paused timber sales and a state budget proviso that would fund an Elwha watershed study; the panel also voted to release a public notice for Title III (Secure Rural Schools) project proposals.

In public comment, Ed Bowen (taxing-district representative) told attendees he was concerned about a DNR purchase of encumbered lands called Burnt Mountain and asked who would benefit from the acquisition. Bowen referenced prior federal work in the watershed and said the sale would affect junior taxing districts in his area, urging the group to consider how benefits and burdens are allocated.

Committee members then discussed recent actions at the Department of Natural Resources. Several members said the lands commissioner told them he would not add acreage beyond the set-asides already identified; Connie Beauvais and other officials pressed for county-level detail on how any 'set-aside' or maturation-class decisions would be applied across counties and trusts. Participants asked whether 'level 2 maturation' trees (mid-rotation stands) would be held in place and whether the policy would be applied by sustainable-harvest unit, by county or statewide; staff said those implementation details were still being modeled and had not yet been decided.

At the meeting, staff read language from a proposed state budget proviso (section referenced in discussion as 'section 312') that would direct DNR to conduct an analysis of ecological and conservation values in the Elwha watershed and to report to the Legislature by Oct. 1, 2026. The read text included references to the Natural Heritage Program site survey and chapters 79.70 and 79.71 RCW (the processes for state natural area preserves and natural resources conservation areas). Participants interpreted the proviso as a potential multi-year pause or study that could affect harvest timing and county revenues; staff said the timeline and exact acreage implications remained under review.

The group also discussed how newly purchased lands are funded and how purchase-bucket funding affects where revenues are distributed to taxing districts. Attendees asked for clearer reporting from DNR transactions staff on which tax codes and taxing districts will receive revenues from recent and proposed sales.

On a separate but related administrative item, the board approved a public notice to solicit Title III project applications under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The notice covers eligible activities including search-and-rescue and emergency-services reimbursement on federal lands, Firewise and community wildfire protection planning and school broadband projects. The clerk said $156,807 is available in the county Title III account; the call for proposals will remain open through June 4 and recommendations will go to the county's revenue advisory committee and the Board of County Commissioners for final approval. A motion to publish the notice was made, seconded and recorded as passed by voice vote (aye).

Follow-up requests from taxing district members included: county-level breakdowns of any 'level 2 maturation' acreage the commissioner's model identifies; a list of tax codes and districts affected by upcoming sales and CEMP (Cultural and Environmental Permit) comment periods; and a request that the lands commissioner return for a future meeting once he has more complete data.