2025-03-10-minutes-nw-forest-plan-comment-letter-discussion

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2025-03-10 MINUTES 1 COMMISSIONERS' MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON CONFERENCE ROOM SPECIAL MEETING WEDNESDAY 10:00 A.M. MARCH 10, 2025 Board members present: Chairman Laura Osiadacz; Vice-Chairman Cory Wright; and Commissioner Brett Wachsmith. Others: Julie Kjorsvik, Clerk of the Board and 4 members of the public. SPECIAL MEETING NW FOREST PLAN COMMISSIONERS At 10:00 a.m. Chairman Osiadacz opened a Special Meeting to review, discuss and develop a comment letter in response to the proposed amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan. Vice-Chairman Wright said he drafted a comment letter after meeting with Gary Berndt and Phil Hess. Phil Hess reviewed the history of the Northwest Forest Plan and said in his opinion, it should be thrown out and started again. The proposed comments were to be made on potential amendments and not a revision. He indicated that with alternatives A – D, that D would be the best out of the four of them. Gary Berndt felt the proposed plan was not sufficient and was concerned with impacts on rural communities. He felt it should include a matrix of Community Protection Lands of at least one mile, as ¼ mile would not solve any issues. He felt alternative D was the best offered out of the four, but it needs to be more inclusive to local government. Chairman Osiadacz felt the proposed letter with comments should focus more on the rural community aspects and she offered to add some language to it and have it done by the end of the day to have signed and sent out. Vice-Chairman Wright said he didn’t have any issues with adding language to it, as long as it doesn’t remove any of what’s currently in the letter. The Board agreed to send a letter out upon Chairman Osiadacz additional comments, and to ratify it at a future Commissioner meeting. The meeting was concluded at 10:55 a.m.