Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Industry and small landowners warn NP buffer rule could harm rural economies; call for renewed consensus
Summary
Stakeholders told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that the recently adopted Type NP buffer rule — which some agencies interpreted as allowing no measurable temperature change — constrains adaptive-management alternatives, risks large economic costs for rural counties and small landowners, and has fractured consensus; several witnesses urged reconvening principals to restore trust.
At a House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee work session, representatives of small forest landowners and large forest landowners warned that recent implementation of the so-called "Type NP" rule has strained the adaptive-management consensus and could impose significant costs on rural communities.
Elaine O'Neil, executive director of the Washington Farm Forestry Association, told the committee that small landowners supported the original Forest and Fish agreement "with the expectation that all those promises...about landowner assistance, financial support, and alternate plans would come to fruition." She argued the adaptive-management program has sidelined human use and urged policy makers to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
