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Crook County details Natural Resources program role in federal-lands coordination
Summary
Tim DeBooth told commissioners the county’s Natural Resources program — operating at about a half full-time equivalent — focuses on representing Crook County on federal and state land-management actions, monitoring rulemaking, and convening local advisory input to preserve public access and local economic interests.
Tim DeBooth, of the Crook County Natural Resources program, told the Board of Commissioners on Monday that the office was created following a 2017 county policy and staffed in 2018 to coordinate the county’s response to federal and state land-management decisions.
The program, DeBooth said, serves as a liaison between the county and federal and state agencies — including the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management — and uses an 11-member advisory committee to gather public input and prepare white papers for commissioner action. “The purpose of the program is to advance the county’s adopted policy of 2017,” DeBooth said, describing the work as focused on protecting local custom, culture and access to resources.
Why it matters: Crook County contains large areas of federal land, and decisions at the federal and state level on forests, grazing, water and recreation can affect local access, economic activity and fire-management planning. County staff said the Natural Resources program helps ensure Crook County’s interests are represented early in processes such as NEPA reviews and other federal planning efforts.
DeBooth outlined core activities that include tracking state and federal rulemakings, advising commissioners on emerging issues, convening public forums when land-use changes are proposed, and coordinating with partners such as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and regional watershed collaboratives. He said the program tries to remain timely despite public-notice constraints and estimated operating cost as “about a half a FTE.”
Commissioners praised the function as a cost-saving alternative to frequent legal work and noted the program’s value when rapid responses are required for high-profile issues. DeBooth said the program’s approach is to gather input, present management options, and retain local control over policy recommendations to the board.
The county will continue to refine the Natural Resources core-service description as part of a larger package of departmental descriptions that staff expect to present to the board in January 2026.
