Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House committee hears bill to add two tribal seats to Board of Natural Resources
Summary
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard testimony Feb. 18 on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5838, which would add two tribal representatives (east and west side) to the Board of Natural Resources; tribal leaders and DNR supported the change while counties and some stakeholders raised fiduciary concerns. Public testimony closed with 29 pro and 128 con sign-ins.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 18 heard testimony on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5838, which would add two tribal representatives to the Board of Natural Resources and require the governor to solicit nominees from federally recognized tribes and from tribes with treaty-ceded lands. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Claudia Kaufman, said tribal knowledge and stewardship would strengthen state land management decisions and called the change "respectful and collaborative."
Lily Smith, the committee staffer, told members the measure expands tribal representation from a single seat to two — one for each side of the Cascades — and that nominees must be solicited from tribes with treaty-ceded…
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
