Task force hears tribal and recreation concerns; subcommittee follow-up planned

During discussion of draft goals, several task force members raised concerns about recreation impacts on forests and the need to recognize tribal cultural uses of landscapes.

Frank (task force member) said recreational activities can harm ecosystems, water quality and wildlife habitat and urged the plan to include limits on recreational impacts. George (task force member) said tribal people continue to use and rely on places across the county for cultural practices and asked for greater attention to protecting identified and potential cultural sites as recreational pressure grows.

Brandy (stewardship and land-use subcommittee member) and staff agreed to bring the recreation-related concerns into the land stewardship and land-use subcommittee for deeper discussion and to include Frank and George in the subcommittee’s next meeting. Brandy suggested that some of the tribal and cultural concerns could be reflected under stewardship goals and that the subcommittee should coordinate directly with tribal representatives and other partners.

Task force members said that objectives developed by subcommittees should capture recreation-management measures and protections for tribal cultural places; no regulatory actions were taken at the Jan. 13 meeting, but staff and subcommittee leads committed to follow-up outreach and scheduled subcommittee participation for interested members.