HomeMy WebLinkAboutEvergreen Forest County Groupjf)
Evergreen Forest County Group
October 15,2017
Dear Commissioners & Council Members :
Throughout the year your Evergreen Group has been laser focused on winning an
extension of Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Funding for our National Forest Counties.
At our direction, Bob Weidner has worked closely with House Republican
Conference Chair, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and
Speaker Paul Ryan. In addition to our own counties, Bob has organized counties in
California, Texas and Wisconsin to weigh in with key members and has flown
commissioners, school leaders and timber industry officials into Washington, D.C.
throughout the Spring, Summer and now is preparing for a full court press as we
head into the end of the year.
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To that end, Bob continues to work very closely with House and Senate Leaders on
enacting the Resilient Federal Forest Management Act of 2017, a bill which will
reopen the National Forests for active management to improve forest health, reduce
fires, and create economic growth for rural public lands communities.
Bob, long ago uncovered the fact that failure to continue SRS funding would
drastically skew PIL T payments across the public lands west and has succeeded in
getting word of this out to counties and to Congressional leaders.
Finally, Bob has played a key role in initiating a Coordination Executive Order within
the Trump Administration. Meanwhile, we continue to work to educate the
Congress and our own counties about tools available to them in the form of formal
"coordination" as defined in the 1976 Federal Land Policy Management Act
(FLPMA). Reinforcing "coordination" is a key objective for our counties as a way to
bring true consistency between federal land policies and your local general
management plans. Skagit, Chelan and Okanogan Counties used coordination this
year to block National Park and US Fish and Wildlife Service longstanding plans to
introduce Grizzly Bears into the North Cascades. Coordination works.
We are well served by Bob Weidner. He brings the ability to work on a bipartisan
basis, to forge coalitions of counties, the timber industry and the education
community from parts of the country that can and is helping us. We urge your
continued strong financial support for your Evergreen Group and Bob Weidner.
Sincerely,
~~o,D~
Ken Dahlstedt, Co-Chairman (Skagit County)
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT
ON BEHALF OF KITTITAS COUNTY, A MEMBER
OF THE EVERGREEN FOREST COUNTY GROUP
A Rural Public Lands County Council Affiliate
2018
I. PARTIES
This Memorandum of Agreement is by and between Robert K. Weidner,
hereinafter "Weidner", with offices in the Washington, D.C. area and Kittitas County,
hereinafter "the County".
II. RESPONSIBILITIES
Pursuant to the terms of this Memorandum of Agreement, Weidner will serve as
Washington, D.C. government relation's advisor to Kittitas County and other counties of
the Evergreen Forest County Group hereinafter "Evergreen". In this role, Weidner will
report to and receive guidance from Evergreen Group Members & Commissioners of
participating counties including:
A. Monitoring and infonnation gathering with the Administration and
Congress with respect to matters in which the counties may have interest.
Specifically, Weidner will closely monitor and provide information on
matters affecting public lands within member counties.
B. Lobbying Congress and departments of the executive Branch of the
government including the Department of the Interior, the Office of
Management and Budget, the Department of Energy, the Environmental
Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture with respect to
matters, which affect member counties. This will involve arranging
meetings for officials of the member counties with officials of these
departments as necessary; the preparation of testimony and briefmg
papers; assisting in devising strategy; the implementation of that strategy
with respect to House and Senate Committees; and liaison work with key
committee members of the House and Senate Committees as well as
Committee staff.
C. In addition to those activities described in "B" above, this will include
working with members and staffs of relevant Congressional Committees
on an on-going basis on behalf of member counties.
D . Providing regular briefings to the Evergreen Executive Committee and
member counties following the guidelines set forth by the Executive
Committee.
E. Provide periodic updates on issues and activities , which affect Evergreen
member counties.
Ill. DURATION
This Memorandum of Agreement shall remain in effect from January 1,2018
until December 31, 2018 . However either party may cancel this contract on sixty days
notice without cause.
IV. FEES
PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO Robert K. Weidner. In
consideration of the above-referenced services to be performed by Weidner, the County
agrees to pay Weidner $10,000.00 in January of2018. Should this contract be
terminated early, pursuant to the provision of III, above, and then compensation for
Weidner's services shall be computed based upon the number of hours actually expended
by Weidner multiplied by an hourly rate of$250.00 per hour. Provided, however, that in
no event shall the fees incurred exceed the total amount stated above unless agreed to by
the two parties.
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Date
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On behalf of Kittitas County Date