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City forester outlines draft watershed plan scope; land conservancy urges conservation-first options
Summary
City Forester Brent Keller presented a draft scope for a Watershed Management Plan including data collection, harvest‑scenario analysis and public outreach; Mark McLaughlin of North Coast Land Conservancy urged the council to prioritize water protection over commercial harvest and offered help finding carbon‑credit and grant expertise.
At the Nov. 12 meeting, City Forester Brent Keller presented a scope of work for a draft Watershed Management Plan and asked the council to define the desired level of public involvement and a budget. Keller proposed baseline data collection (LIDAR, GIS mapping, culvert inspections), analysis of sustainable timber‑harvest alternatives, reassessment of carbon‑credit feasibility given market changes, and a capital improvement planning component for forest infrastructure such as roads and culverts.
Keller described potential public outreach including virtual meetings, an in‑person field tour to view timber age classes and water sources, and the possible formation of an advisory committee. He said he would prepare a draft budget and final scope for the December council meeting and favored virtual meetings for cost savings except for the final presentation and field tour.
Mark McLaughlin, speaking as a representative of the North Coast Land Conservancy, encouraged the city to revisit goals from a 1981 plan that apparently listed clear‑cutting as a preferred method; McLaughlin suggested prioritizing water quality and quantity and considering limits on commercial harvest in source water areas. He offered to connect the city with organizations experienced in carbon‑credit sales and to discuss grant opportunities for watershed acquisition and protection.
Keller said the plan would compare different rotation ages and harvest scenarios (for example, 60‑year vs. 80‑year rotations versus industrial 35–40 year rotations) and would quantify revenue implications versus potential impacts on water rates. The council asked staff to return in December with a draft budget and scope for further review.
