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Conservation district warns of cuts; county to sign memorandum to fund core services
Summary
Clallam Conservation District described state of reduced support funding and ongoing plans to pursue a parcel-fee assessment; commissioners agreed to sign a memorandum of agreement to provide $60,000 this year as budgeted and asked the district to return with further proposals.
Representatives of the Clallam Conservation District asked the Clallam County Board of Commissioners to continue funding core, non‑grant programs and described an internal funding shortfall that has reduced support by more than half this year.
Kim, representing the conservation district, said county support helps maintain services that are not covered by grants—examples include a soil-testing program, agriculture technical assistance for the western part of the county, native-plant landscaping courses and increased public-records and legal-cost burdens. She said the district is pursuing a parcel-based system of rates and charges as a more stable funding model and has retained a consultant to analyze assessor data for a potential fee (the district explained such fees are typically capped at about $5 per parcel in other jurisdictions).
County administrators confirmed the county budget included $60,000 for the conservation district this year and praised the district’s nonregulatory role and its work helping landowners comply with environmental rules and repair failing septic systems. Kim said the district has repaired nine leaking septic systems this year that posed contamination risks to salmon-bearing rivers and that some countywide services could be cut if the funding is not available.
Commissioners asked the district to return with details after the consultant completes its analysis. The county agreed to place the memorandum of agreement on the regular meeting agenda for signature one week later.
