HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter Taneum Restoration ProjectKittitas County, Washington
BOARD oFCOUNTY COMMISSIONERS
August 7, 2018
District One
Cory Wright
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Cle Elum Ranger District
803 W. 2 nd Street
Cle Elum, WA 98922
RE: Taneum Restoration Project
District Two
Laura Osiadacz
District Three
Obie O'Brien
Thank you for providing a site tour and extension for comment on the Scoping Document for the
Taneum Restoration Project. The tour gave clarity to all of the stakeholders who were able to
attend.
The Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners would like to formally support thinning of
the forest to remove diseased or unhealthy trees, and trees that need to be removed to allow for a
more fire resilient forest.
In addition to mechanical thinning, the Board is also supportive of using fire in prescribed burns
to control the undergrowth and fine fuels in an effort to allow for a landscape that was
historically found in this area prior to the overabundance of fire suppression.
After thinning is performed, it would be beneficial for firewood permits to be sold to the public.
This would allow for the harvest of timber that was not sold during the restoration project or used
as habitat. By doing this we would see unused fuels from this project removed from the site, and
provide a public benefit by furnishing a resource for firewood collection.
It is recommended that there is a plan with funds dedicated for vegetation management.
Historically after soils are disturbed or bums occur there is a flood of invasive species that take
seed and become established. It is important for the health of the forest to ensure we are ready to
address these challenges after the work is complete.
After mechanical thinning and prescribed burns are finalized, there is an opportunity for
maintenance to occur through well planned grazing efforts. Many studies have found that grazing
as a vegetation management treatment is safe, practical, effective, and often makes economic
sense.
The scoping document states, "There is a need to decommission or repair roads that are
redundant, unsafe, and unsustainable, and are having considerable resource impacts." In recent
years we have seen a decline in the amount of roads open on public lands. It is important to the
committee that access remains open for public use. Recreation has played an ever growing role in
KITTITAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE· 205 WEST 5th , SUITE 108 · ELLENSBURG, WA 98926
(509) 962-7508 · FAX (509) 962-7679
www.co .kittitas .wa .us
the economy of this area. It is crucial for recreation in Kittitas County that if any road or section
of road is closed another road is created or opened as mitigation for the loss. There should be no
net loss of mileage open for the use of motorized vehicles. This request is important to the
recreation community, local residents, and the financial stability of our county.
Language in the document reads, "There is a need to harden or decommission developed and/or
dispersed recreation sites." The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners would like to advocate
for keeping the opportunity for disbursed camping. This type of camping has been enjoyed by
people living in the Kittitas Valley for generations. Protecting streams from erosion and
increased sediment is important. The committee is not opposed to hardening or decommissioning
sites where appropriate, but would ask that if this action is taken it is accompanied by developing
new disbursed camp sites nearby. There should be no net loss of disbursed camp sites in the
Taneum Restoration Project area.
On page 1 of the Scoping Document it states, "Improve riparian, stream, and upland processes
that influence stream and watershed functions and resiliency, and substantially contribute to the
recove1y of listed fish species (steelhead trout and bull trout) and their critical habitats." While
the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners is supportive of the language as it pertains to
steelhead trout it is opposed to the inclusion of bull trout due to the species not being able to
thrive in this environment. The location of the Taneum Restoration Project is too low in the
watershed for this to be achievable.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the Taneum Restoration Project. This
area has been enjoyed by residents and visitors to Kittitas County for generations. We hope you
take into consideration our comments as you proceed with this project.
Sincerely,
Obie O'Brien
Vice-Chairman
Cory Wright
Commissioner
KITTITAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE· 205 WEST 5'\ SUITE 108 · ELLENSBURG, WA 98926
(509) 962-7508 · FAX (509) 962-7679
www.co.kittitas.wa .us