Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Skamania County commissioner tells Gorge panel federal land rules, low harvests have squeezed local revenue
Summary
Skamania County Commissioner Lisa Lecky told the Columbia River Gorge Commission’s Economic Vitality Committee that federal land acquisitions and chronically low timber harvests have reduced the county’s tax base and strained services; commissioners offered to convene partners, provide support letters and explore targeted funding outreach.
Commissioner Lisa Lecky of Skamania County told the Columbia River Gorge Commission’s Economic Vitality Committee that decades of federal land acquisitions and restricted development in the National Scenic Area have squeezed the county’s tax base and complicated local economic recovery.
"Skamania County regulatory-wise is 92% controlled by the U.S. Forest Service between the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the National Scenic Area," Lecky said, arguing that recent land purchases removed taxable land and depressed local revenues. She estimated roughly $4,000,000 of lost property-tax-equivalent revenue over the past decade and said about $200,000 in payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILT) expired in the last budget cycle.
Why it matters: Lecky said the revenue losses reduce funding for schools, emergency…
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
