Clark County council asks DNR to pause Turnover timber sale, schedules public trust-lands tour

Clark County Councilors signaled support July 30 for a staff-drafted letter asking the Washington Department of Natural Resources not to move forward with the Turnover timber sale until DNR’s temporary pause ends, its updated statewide policy is published and public input is considered. The council also approved a publicly noticed Trust Lands tour with DNR on Sept. 12 that county staff said will allow members of the public to attend.

The request to pause and the public push for greater county involvement followed a series of public comments urging protection of the county’s oldest forest stands. "I am here to remind you of why preventing our oldest natural forests like the Turnover and Dabbler from being clear cut is urgent and necessary," said Tanya Anger during the meeting’s public-comment period. Theresa Hardy, representing the Sierra Club, voiced similar support for a pause and for the county to press DNR for change.

Jordan Bogie, senior policy analyst for Clark County, presented the draft letter that councilors had requested the prior week and said staff would forward it to DNR. Bogie told the council that he had drafted the letter to request that the sale not proceed "until such time as the pause has ended, and DNR has had a chance to present their updated policy, statewide, and get the best available science into that as well as receipt of public input." He also updated the council that the county had scheduled a Trust Lands tour with DNR for Sept. 12, leaving the Cholachee Prairie General Store at 8:30 a.m. and returning around noon. Bogie said the tour is a half‑day program, public participants must provide their own transportation and staff are working on logistical details including parking and contingencies for larger-than-expected turnout.

Councilor Little asked how a field meeting would operate and whether the county would take public comment on site. Bogie replied that the trip would not be a formal council meeting and that "there is not a requirement to do public comment at this meeting," but added that there may be opportunities for dialogue depending on how DNR structures the tour. Little also asked the county to investigate steps to form a standing stakeholder group similar to the recently formed agriculture committee; Little said an advisory group focused on forestry or natural resources could help inform long‑term policy.

Several speakers during public comment tied forest protection to climate obligations. Anger cited the 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and Washington state targets, saying the county is "obligated by state law to include greenhouse gas emissions reductions plans in our comprehensive plan" and noting public concern that clearcut harvest in older stands contributes significantly to county emissions.

Bogie said staff would revise the draft letter per council feedback and send it to the DNR contacts identified in the draft. He also said the Sept. 12 tour will be posted on the county website and noticed as a public event; county staff urged attendees to plan to follow the DNR van and to use nearby gravel parking to avoid crowding the general‑store lot.

The council’s direction was procedural—staff confirmed they would send the letter and finalize tour logistics—and no final county land‑use decisions regarding the Turnover sale were made at the meeting. Further policy work and possible advisory‑board discussions were discussed for future policy meetings.

Looking ahead, Bogie and Councilor Little said they would explore next steps for a stakeholder advisory body or task force to advise the council on forestry, natural areas and related land‑management issues. The county will post the Trust Lands tour notice and the finalized letter on the council website when available.