HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter re Dabob Bay JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Mark McCauley, County Administrator
FROM: Heidi Eisenhour, Commissioner
DATE: November 20,2023
SUBJECT: Dabob Bay DNR Natural Area Expansion proposal support
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
As part of the Dabob Bay Natural Area managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in SE
Jefferson County,there was a boundary expansion in 2016. Since that time DNR has been working towards
set aside of DNR managed lands within the boundary. DNR is undertaking extensive work including
analysis of potential impacts and outreach to Junior Tax Districts as a result of these two transactions. As
part of this outreach to vet this expansion with stakeholders in Jefferson County, we received a detailed
presentation on this proposal on November 6, 2023. After receiving that presentation,the BOCC asked that
we send a letter of support for this boundary expansion proposal.
ANALYSIS:
The next step after our meeting with DNR is outreach to taxing district representatives and Common School
Trust interested parties which is taking place now. DNR Staff will then prepare a presentation for taking to
the DNR management in early November to prepare for December 5,2023 BNR Meeting for vote on Dabob
Bay Inter Trust Exchange and Dabob Bay TLT transfer. Then DNR will work towards closing the
transaction before December 30, 2023 when the RCO funds will no longer be available to bridge the needed
funding gap.
Jefferson County has been an active supporter of past Dabob Bay Natural Area expansion efforts.
Fundamentally,this and previous transactions—once productive timberland is purchased in Jefferson
County to replaced conserved areas—will make DNR Timber Trust lands more productive for beneficiaries
in Jefferson County.
FISCAL IMPACT•
None.
RECOMMENDATION•
Discuss,amend if needed and send the included letter of support.
REVIEWED BY:
_ 11/17/23
Mark McCauley, County Admii, ator Date
O� CON_ sr Board of County Commissioners
4w¢~ 1820 Jefferson Street
A PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
O�IN Kate Dean,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour,District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3
G'S-
November 20, 2023
Commissioner of Public Lands Hillary Franz
Dear Commissioner Franz,
Thank you for all the work and collaboration to date on conservation around Dabob Bay. This area
remains a high priority for Jefferson County conservation. As we all know, work has been underway
for several years on a proposed expansion of the Dabob Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area
(NRCA).
We are writing to officially register Jefferson County's support for the proposal,presented to us on
November 6, 2023, to transfer a number of priority parcels into the Dabob Bay NRCA by initiating
an inter-trust exchange with parcels valued at $10,950,578 and then a Trust Land Transfer, which
was authorized by the legislature in 2016, of parcels valued at$10,095,226. The difference will be
made up with funds made available to DNR to acquire replacement lands in the 2021 legislative
session.
As you know, we are also interested in the expansion of the Dabob Bay NRCA to take in hundreds
of acres of a rare forest plant community. We are excited about your recent announcement of 671
acres to be included in the 2000 acres of structurally complex forests approved for protection by
DNR in the last legislative session.
Thank you for your work on behalf of Dabob Bay,
Kate Dean, Dist. No. 1 Heidi Eisenhour, Dist. No. 2 Greg Brotherton, Chair, Dist.No. 3
Phone(360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us