Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
County staff outline pilot selective forest harvesting on county land; 123 acres identified with roughly $207,000 gross revenue estimate
Loading...
Summary
Public‑works, planning and recreation staff briefed the board on a pilot selective harvesting plan covering three county sites; staff estimated about 123 acres suited for selective harvest and a gross timber revenue estimate of roughly $207,000, but cautioned revenue excludes staff time and invasive‑species management.
Public works, planning and recreation staff briefed commissioners on a proposed pilot for selective forest harvesting on county‑owned parcels at North Sawmill, West Sawmill and Spiegel.
Brian Bokey, director of public works, said staff examined about 504 acres and identified roughly 123 acres that could be considered for selective harvesting. "Out of the 504 acres that we studied, we established that a 123 acres would have potential for select harvesting, turning a revenue of around $207,000," Bokey said, while stressing that revenue estimates were straightforward timber fees and did not include staff time, invasive‑species control or longer‑term stewardship costs.
Planning and recreation staff emphasized environmental and community considerations: selective harvesting can open canopy and help regeneration but can also require temporary park closures, visible landscape changes and invasive‑species management. The staff recommended stakeholder meetings with recreation advisory boards and nearby communities before any harvests proceed and warned that after factoring permitting, management and mitigation the program could be net‑neutral financially.
The board asked staff to continue work on programmatic details and return with a proposal that includes public outreach and cost estimates for long‑term stewardship and management.
Why it matters: The proposal balances potential revenue and forest health benefits against staffing, mitigation and user‑experience costs. The county treats the pilot as exploratory and subject to further public engagement.
