Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County outlines timeline, options for McBee campground master plan
Summary
Parks staff said McBee campground is advancing toward planning commission review in August and the board in September, with work to preserve trees, improve trails and consider multiple operational and phasing options including camp hosts and water access.
Benton County parks staff gave an update on the McBee campground master plan, saying the project is nearing completion of design and regulatory review and outlining a fall timeline for adoption and initial site work.
Staff reported that the project will be before the county planning commission on Aug. 19 for zoning and plan approval and that the board could consider the master plan as early as the Sept. 2 meeting, or at a later meeting if commissioners prefer. The update described current field work: crews using a masticator to clear understory along road approaches so surveyors can set boundaries while preserving trees where possible, and preparing for required tree removal ahead of contractor harvest work in late fall or early winter.
On operations, staff said McBee will remain open for day use during current work and that a small number of managed family campsites were kept available. Staff noted the difficulty of finding a camp host due to limited cell service and lack of power at the site and said they are considering satellite communication options and a single spigot to serve a camp host. "We like to have a camp host if we can," staff said.
The draft master plan will include phased implementation and multiple funding and operational scenarios—examples include versions with and without a camp host and different phasing strategies to reach enterprise-account self‑sufficiency. Staff said tree removal revenue in fall harvest windows might offset some of the removal costs and noted landslide and runoff concerns that led them to limit timbering on one hillside.
Staff also said trail and stewardship work from partners such as Trout Mountain Institute contributed proposals added as an addendum to the forest stewardship plan. No formal board decision was taken; staff requested guidance on whether to bring the master plan forward to the commission and asked the board to review materials ahead of the Sept. meeting.
Planned next steps: Aug. 19 — planning commission review for zoning; likely Sept. board review for master plan adoption; late-fall tree harvest and site work to comply with fire marshal requirements.
