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Residents urge clear county response to federal and state land acquisitions
Summary
Public commenters at a Clallam County forum asked commissioners to respond to Bureau of Indian Affairs outreach and to clarify procedures when land transfers affect county jurisdiction and competitive markets.
Speakers at a Clallam County Charter Review Commission forum urged county leaders to develop clearer procedures for responding to land acquisitions by federal and state agencies and to be transparent about government-to-government meetings.
Several residents asked the commissioners to reply to Bureau of Indian Affairs outreach with clear explanations of impacts to all citizens rather than silence or ambiguous stances. “I would like the commissioners to respond… designating the impact to all the citizens,” Jake Segars (District 3) said, urging the board to explain effects of federal outreach.
Other attendees raised broader jurisdictional concerns including a specific corner of Highway 110 and U.S. 101, arguing that land transfers outside county jurisdiction can create competitive market problems and reduce local control. One commenter asked whether government-to-government meetings should be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act and whether public-records requests should be permitted for such interactions.
The moderator noted the board previously met jointly with a tribal body and had required the meeting be open to the public when a quorum of the board attended. Commissioners said they will consider how best to respond and encouraged written comments and participation in upcoming forums.
No formal county policy change or vote was recorded at the meeting; commissioners said public input would help shape next steps, and follow-up sessions were scheduled, including a SWIM meeting in Port Angeles.
