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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-28 Comp Plan Public Comments_combined1 Alex Henley From:Al Latham <alelatham@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, January 16, 2025 8:11 To:2025 Comp Plan Subject:comp plan, CAO comments ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Regarding commenting on the Comp Plan and Critical Areas ordinance the community will not be able to do so effectively until we see proposed changes. It will be helpful if those changes can be listed rather than one having to pore through the whole documents looking for them. Regarding the CAO it seems there is pressure from Dept of Fish & Wildlife to utilize "Site Potential Tree Height" for buffer widths in "Fish & Wildlife Conservation Habitat Conservation Areas" (FWCHCAs) in the Critical Areas Ordinance. It seems that currently any proposed changes to the CAO are being developed by staff and consultants with no way for interested parties to provide input until the draft language is produced. This if of concern to the agricultural community since most existing farmland falls within the FWCHAs designated areas. Imposing these buffers on existing farmland would run counter to other aspects of the Comp Plan that support agriculture. Getting input from the ag community as draft language is being prepared would be advisable. A note on using Site Potential Tree Height (SPTH) to establish buffer widths. SPTH is based on "site indexes" for different soils based on the NRCS soil types in the soil survey. The mapping of these soil types is not accurate at the parcel level. As you zoom in on the soil maps this warning appears: "Warning: Soil Map may not be valid at this scale. You have zoomed in beyond the scale at which the soil map for this area is intended to be used. Mapping of soils is done at a particular scale. The soil surveys that comprise your AOI were mapped at 1:20,000. The design of map units and the level of detail shown in the resulting soil map are dependent on that map scale. " Also there are no site indexes for many organic soils. Al Latham 255 Kennedy Rd, Port Hadlock 360-821-1323 From: Lair Showalter <lair5265@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 11:28 AM To: DCD Front Staff <dcd@co.jefferson.wa.us> Subject: Walkability ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Hello, I just want to get something off my chest. I was an urban planner with a Master's degree in the Kansas City and Seattle areas for several years many decades ago before I changed careers. My husband and I moved to this area last year after over a decade of living, working, and traveling abroad and then volunteering extensively in national parks/monuments for a few years. We moved here to help out with our granddaughter and to live a quieter life in a beautiful area. We lived in a rental for 5 months on Evergreen Ln in Port Hadlock last year and then bought a place in The Meadows where we moved in October. We would have preferred to buy a home in Port Townsend, but we couldn't afford it. I am so surprised and depressed at the lack of sidewalks, connecting streets, paths, etc. as ways to get people out of their cars here. When we lived on Evergreen, we were about 1/2 mile from QFC, but because the entire town is composed of dead- end streets and cul-de-sacs, we couldn't trespass on private property and had to walk well over a mile one way to get to the store. I am aware that Chimacum Creek might be part of the reason for development happening the way it did, but there are ways around that kind of barrier. We're a little better off in The Meadows. We can walk to QFC and Henery's although we go a long way around to QFC so we can utilize one of the only sidewalks in the area. We're a half-mile from the wonderful library and Chimacum Primary School where I volunteer, but have to walk on Ness Corner Rd. where there is no sidewalk. It's an unpleasant walk. If Port Hadlock has the only Urban Development designation in the area, then the Planning Department needs to think in a forward, progressive way about more than just housing, but also about building sidewalks, paths and connecting streets so that residents can WALK and bicycle to run errands or walk for pleasure and get some exercise at the same time. I have lived in Asia and Europe and am appalled at the American dependence on cars and the dependency reinforced by urban development. Your department could become a model for many small urban areas and fight to make this place a healthier living alternative with opportunities to walk to stores, businesses, restaurants, and county parks. Thank you for reading my rant! :) Probably a better forum would be The Leader. Maybe I'll send this along to them. Lair Showalter JEFFERSON LAND TRUST Helping the community preserve open space, working lands and habitat forever 1033 Lawrence Street, Port Townsend WA 98368 360.379.9501 info@saveland.org www.saveland.org Jefferson Land Trust is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, tax-exempt, private corporation. Jefferson County Department of Community Development RE: Comprehensive Plan Update 2025 March 5, 2025 In support of the resilience element of the comprehensive plan update, Jefferson Land Trust is happy to share the data and methodology for our own climate resilience spatial analysis, and have provided that to the GIS department. We are orienting our own private voluntary land conservation efforts with the results of that analysis, focusing more attention on the identified conservation opportunity areas in our conservation planning and priorities. You’ll see that there are four different categories for Conservation Opportunity Areas: Habitat and Biodiversity; Agriculture; Forestland; and Community. Please see an explanation of our approach in the methods document, and otherwise as described on our website for the project: www.saveland.org/land-resilience-study With that data and analysis as a reference, we encourage the county to incentivize conservation of, or otherwise direct future development away from, the identified conservation opportunity areas. Using the best available science, we believe these areas represent the portions of the county with the highest resilience features, and if they are converted and developed, they will lose that potential function and benefit for future generations. We want to help encourage the responsible stewardship of these lands, so that they can best support future generations of wildlife, ecological function, and people. As with all data, there is more that we can do to improve and refine our analysis, and as new data becomes available, we intend to incorporate it as appropriate. For example, the discipline of conservation biology clearly identifies river riparian corridors as very important for resilience, but they don’t emerge as clearly as we would expect in the data. Specifically, we also want to encourage the policies of the comprehensive plan to maintain the low-density zoning conditions of the working lands zoning districts. The undeveloped working lands continue to provide proportionally greater wildlife habitat and other ecological values than more developed lands, while also producing economic and social values that can be sustained for generations. With greater levels of development pressure predicted, the more we can collectively encourage density where it’s best suited, the better prepared the watersheds, and the community, will be to adapting to the future predicted severe climate stressors. In general, we encourage development to be incentivized in the portions of the UGA’s that are appropriate for more dense development, and reduce residential and commercial sprawl outside of the UGA’s and other core population centers. UGA’s still need undeveloped open space, drainage areas, and agricultural production potential, and we want to emphasize that a smart approach that balances those open spaces with more dense development will best serve future generations. For the climate element of the comprehensive plan update, there are several areas of concern that you identify in your survey (sea level rise, geological hazards, drinking water resources, physical and mental human health, natural resources, and climate migration). All of these are relevant to the mission of the Land Trust, and preparedness in our communities around these areas of concern is something that the Land Trust continues to work on using our voluntary land conservation and stewardship tools, and our education programming. For specific policy recommendations, we believe your process would be well served by closely consulting our strategic Conservation Plan, which provides a 100-year vision approach to conservation in the county. It also lays out 16 Conservation Actions to help achieve those visions, which were carefully crafted and could provide powerful guidance for the comprehensive plan update policies. Please do look closely at the Conservation Plan, and we hope that it provides helpful context narrative and specific policy language. https://saveland.org/our-story/reports-financials As somewhat emphasized in the existing comprehensive plan, the work to prepare ourselves for the changes coming is wide-ranging and can be incorporated into almost every aspect of the county government. For the update, we encourage the county to review all the goal statements, and incorporate climate resilience into as many of them as appropriate, as a way to emphasize the broad-spectrum preparedness needed. While the planning horizon of the plan is only 10-20 years, the rate and severity of climate-related impacts is predicted to increase beyond that horizon. So, we encourage the county to use the best available science and climate modeling to inform the goals and policies of the update, orienting them towards preparing for the changes predicted for 30-50+ years from now. In other words, we encourage this update process to help guide decisions and investments during this planning period towards actions that help prepare for the predicted climate scenarios of 2075 and beyond. These scenarios include: • Shoreline erosion, saltwater intrusion, coastal flooding • Increased rain on snow events, higher winter stream/river flows • Lower summer stream/river flows, longer summer drought • More severe flooding, stronger winter storms, landslides • Increased rate and severity of wildfires • Increased heatwaves, hotter summers • Increased water temperatures, decreased soil moisture • Our analysis also indicates that at current and projected population growth rates, most of the legal building sites on vacant land could be converted to commercial, industrial or residential uses as soon as 2075 (see Conservation Plan) Creating policies in the update that address these inevitabilities is paramount to the well-being of current and future generations. Being specific about these in the comprehensive plan update will help the community organize, through the county and otherwise, the targeted approaches to taking care of each other, and taking care of this place. We see the comprehensive plan update as a public document that can explicitly recognize that the climate impacts are predicted to increase, and will change the conditions that have been relatively stable here for the past 5-6,000 years – and that as we leave this familiar climate, these policies will help us all work together to achieve the best outcomes possible. We also encourage the county to be consulting with the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife and incorporating their science-based recommendations for how and where to reduce conversion and development. The current WA Habitat Connectivity Action Plan process has incorporated the best available science to develop priorities for the state, and a close look at the data relevant to Jefferson County will yield greater insights into how our landscape in Jefferson County has functioned for wildlife since time immemorial. Like all landscapes, there are areas where wildlife have been traveling in greater concentrations than other places for thousands of years, due to the topography and other ecological features. These areas must be protected from conversion and development if we are to retain the ecological health of the land and waters that we currently are responsible for taking care of as citizens. The data that demonstrates where these areas are wasn’t nearly as complete or available in the past as it is now, and the comprehensive plan update is an opportunity to identify and address long-term stewardship of these ancient corridors through policy. It is all too easy to fragment the landscape further, and create greater costs to wildlife, but with this updated data from the Land Trust’s resilience analysis, and the data from the WAHCAP, there is an imperative to orient land use policies to accommodate for these ancient conditions and functions of this part of the world. We look forward to future conversations in partnership with the county on helping plan for the best possible future for this place, and the people of Jefferson County. Best Regards, Erik Kingfisher Director of Stewardship and Resilience YOUR VOICE, YOUR VISION, YOUR FUTURE. Did we miss anything, or is there something else you would like to share related to the Comprehensive Plan Update? Please use the space below for additional comments. You can also send comments or questions to 2025compplan@co.jefferson.wa.us or Department of Community Development I 621 Sheridan Street I Port Townsend, WA 98368 ■Hlnk 7>/~A'.e,,~v /J1t1 .... L'J/ 7 -#11€\il "ft10!&11/_T 3!h@iA#'tu> • CoM D Check this box if you would like to be notified by email when new material is available on line or to learn about additional engagement opportunities as we move toward adoption. Is your comment related to a specific element and, if so, which one? Visit our website for more information: www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1708/2025-Periodic-Update Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan 2025 Update I Community Outreach Events Winter 2025 1 Alex Henley From:ldcinorbit@yahoo.com Sent:Monday, March 10, 2025 20:15 To:2025 Comp Plan Subject:Fw: Housing. . . . . Did you know??! ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. See below. ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: ldcinorbit@yahoo.com <ldcinorbit@yahoo.com> To: Ldcinorbit <ldcinorbit@proton.me>; 2025compplan@c.jefferson.wa.us <2025compplan@c.jefferson.wa.us>; Press <press@justicedemocrats.com>; press@poorpeoplescampaign.org <press@poorpeoplescampaign.org>; press@sunrisemovement.org <press@sunrisemovement.org>; National Organization for Women <press@now.org>; vfp@veteransforpeace.org <vfp@veteransforpeace.org>; news@peninsuladailynews.com <news@peninsuladailynews.com>; news@ptleader.com <news@ptleader.com> Sent: Friday, March 7, 2025 at 12:56:46 PM PST Subject: Housing. . . . . Did you know??! That the housing situation in Washington state has been written up? Yessirree, we are number one statistically for elder/disabled abuse. This is because we live in a state where laws protecting the elderly and disabled are not substantially enforced. But this is not the real problem. The real problem is that there is not enough housing resource to either house everyone or bring down high prices related to an engineered shortage of housing or otherwise. We jest don't have enough danged housing to house everyone and everyone is a criminal cop who attacks the homeless or lies and criminalizes them in order to get them put in prison; not helpful. What is helpful is getting enough housing for the (increasing) demand that exists for it. Now you may think that Nikita Khrushchev was a clown or whatever, but he housed all of his people; you haven't. But you have the option of activating the Port Townsend Housing Authority and increasing overall capacity as an option; I don't support the kindergartners at Habitat for Humanity because 1) they don''t house the homeless, and 2) they are too dumb to go up 4-7 stories preserving farmland. As a consequence, you experience ongoing problems related to the housing shortage/homeless crisis. But if you content yourself with lies and don't get the job done effectively, there still will be homeless people suffering on your streets and doing survival crime, sooo, you need to think about much much more than just workforce housing if you want to actually house and help people out substantially. Talk is cheap and negative lies is all I heard from the boomer yuppie nazis at the PT Mainstreet group. Lyle Courtsal "Death to colonial slavery. Bury it!! Bury it in the ground. The deeper the better". From the movie Soundtrack to a Coup D'etat. Lyle Courtsal www.3mpub.com 1 Alex Henley From:Rita Kepner <rita.kepner@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, April 25, 2025 15:25 To:2025 Comp Plan Subject:please consider ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Please consider adding new mandatory requirements for new construction that help protect drinking water for the future. Feel free to contact me for suggestions. Rita kepner 1 Alex Henley From:Al Latham <alelatham@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, May 7, 2025 20:25 To:2025 Comp Plan; Bonnie Obremski Subject:Comp Plan comments ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Here are a couple comments and suggestions for the Comp Plan. Page 3-29 'Housing Needs of People of Different Ages & Abilities Meeting the housing needs of an aging population and those with special needs will be an increasingly important issue in the next 20 years. Jefferson County has the oldest median" Sentence not completed Add: and an increasing number of people with special needs needing housing. Page 3-37 Thank you for including "Policy HS-P-4.9 Regulate group homes, foster care facilities, and other residential care facilities the same as similar residential structures occupied by a family or other unrelated individuals, with reasonable accommodations as needed." Thanks, Al Latham 255 Kennedy Rd, Port Hadlock WA 98339 360-821-1323 From:Liz Revord To:Planning; 2025 Comp Plan Cc:Joel Peterson; Cendre Hunt Subject:Planning Commission + Comp Plan Public Engagement Date:Thursday, May 8, 2025 12:36:30 ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Greetings Commissioners, DCD Staff, and Comp Plan Consultants, I want to say thank you for a great Comp Plan Update presentation by DCD Staff + Consultants at last night’s planning commission meeting. The information provided by Berk + Co was presented in a way that was clear, concise, and easily digestible for the audience and general public. As a Community Based Organization, HSN strives to share information and engagement with the general public to encourage them to be active in opportunities like this. Last night my confusion on the feedback opportunity at hand seemed to hit a nerve with Chair Hull in regards to this flyer that was sent by DCD staff to HSN to circulate. It was not my intention to cause frustration, but rather clarify the request for community engagement opportunity that had not yet presented itself. With so much new information coming through last night, it’s unfortunate that there was not enough time for continued dialogue with the community members in the room or online. I will ask my questions and pose my public comments in this email from last night and hope that there is an option in the future meetings, as outlined on the engagement flyer, for open dialogue between the community, Planning Commissioners, and DCD staff/consultants. I hope that we have the opportunity in the upcoming meetings for time after information is presented to pose our questions and comments. Comments: AMI for 2024 increased to $106,300 (indicative of influx of wealth into the community, not increase in local wages) Employment gap will be directly tied to housing availability Naturally occurring affordable housing does not exist in this community as the land becomes more valuable than the structure. We have not seen housing remain safe or habitable at the price range for local workers to move into a unit and work on the property. In 2023 there were 17 homes in Jefferson County that met this definition and none of them were reviewed for health and safety levels, although MLS descriptions often refereed to these units as ‘value in the land’ or ‘remodel opportunities!’. Questions: When does 2024 Annual Comp Plan items 'go into effect?' (Airport Overlay, ADU, etc.) Are they ready to go as of Jan 1, 2025 or will they be implemented at the end of this year? When looking at the HAPT Method and housing growth targets, will the County be working with our local housing partners to identify which current projects and/or projects in the pipeline will meet these targets? Where in the housing continuum, from there, are we lacking/what will be the biggest gap? In the Land Use Element on pg. 16, is the configuration of 3,152 units be met if all current empty parcels were developed to their highest and best use? How did the consultants arrive at that number? In the Housing Element on pg. 19 how does Berk + Associates propose to promote or create more permanently affordable housing? Are there/will there be support in policy language and program development for these vital components? What have they seen work in other communities? I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all and clarifying what the appropriate role is for our community to engage. Best, Liz -- Liz Revord She/her Housing Solutions Network Network Director Please note that my responses may be delayed at this time. My working hours have shifted and may be different than yours. Don’t feel pressured to respond outside of your working hours, remember we’re all doing our best! Comments from Cindy Jayne on the Jefferson County Draft Comp Plan, First Full Public Draft Note: Below proposed redlines, with page numbers referenced, on the draft Comp Plan. In some cases, a comment is made without a specific redline. And rationale is added in a few cases where it may not be obvious. Vision: Jefferson County honors and respects the natural world as integral to our health and lifestyles. The County protects open spaces, shorelines, forests, clean air and clean water, wildlife and wildlife habitat so that future generations may also practice stewardship of the land, the seas, and the communities of Jefferson County. This includes preparing for projected climate impacts, and doing our part to reduce our community’s net greenhouse gas emissions by reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. page (p) vii: “Through the Growth Management Act (GMA), the State of Washington provides a new framework for land use planning” [rationale: not really new anymore] p xv: proposed edit: “These included four outreach events hosted by staff and Planning Commission in February and March of 2025 to review draft goals and policies, organization of a Climate Action Committee workgroup to guide development of the new Climate Element…” p xviii: Framework Goal III Enhancement of the Rural Economy Grow a robust economy with living wage jobs based on tourist and recreation-oriented services, resource lands, manufacturing, tourist and recreation-oriented services, and evolving technologies that allows our communities to thrive; through a concept of a sustainable rural economy— benefiting the county’s clean environment and benefiting from the county’s clean environment. p xviii - Framework Goal IV - Housing Variety and Affordability Create opportunities for innovation and flexibility in housing types affordable and attainable across incomes, ages, and abilities. Promote an adequate supply of quality year-round housing for community members, the workforce, seasonal farmworker housing for farmworkers, and recreational homes or accommodations for visitors. [Rationale: not sure we want to encourage second homes?] p 1-15: • typo: Noise levels in unincorporated Jefferson County are generally low but highest along highways and major arterials (US 101, SR 19, SR 20, SR 104, and SR 106) per the U.S. Department of Transportation Noisie Map. • proposed edit: Without significant reductions in worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, Jefferson County is expected to see warmer year-round temperatures, including higher maximum summer p 1-22: Local food systems can also reduce the environmental impacts associated with shipping agricultural products long distances, and help create a more resilient community by increasing the local food supply during emergencies. Local food supports healthy eating, food literacy, and a healthy local economy. p. 1-24 : Countywide, the predominant future land use designation / zoning district is Commercial Forest (CF-80). Other extensive designations include Rural Residential – 20 and Rural Residential – 5. Comment: this must not be including the national park and wilderness areas, which is 50% of the county. And perhaps note that the CF-80 zoning is currently the predominant land use, excluding the national park. Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.5" p. 1-26: Comment: Top of page – suggest clarifying that the national park and wilderness areas are excluded. p 2-3: Forest lands provide an important and abundant renewable resource in the form of timber, which is milled into lumber and used for the construction of buildings, and other important uses and functions, such as recreation, clean air, carbon sequestration and clean water. p 2-8: The forest industry also experiences challenges from changes in natural resource regulations or enforced regulations like the Endangered Species Act. New forest management strategies may also be necessitated by long-term changes in climate, resulting in moisture and fire frequency changes, as well as the need to increase carbon sequestration in forests to mitigate the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. p 2-25: • Policy NR-P-3.5 Promote the concept and practice of community forestry, where forest land owners are assisted in properly managing their forests for conservation and natural resource value and climate mitigationcarbon sequestration, as well as value-added economic development. Rationale: I believe carbon sequestration is used in other parts of the document. • Policy NR-P-5.1: Endorse the use of Forest Management Plans and the planting of a diversity of native trees that would be expected to survive based on existing and projected future environmental conditions… • p 2-30: Action Plan: Forest Health and Resilience - Implement climate adaptation actions to address forest health and resilience, as well as actions to increase carbon sequestration, consistent with the county-wide sequestration goal. p 5-8 Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Addressing Climate Change – propose adding to the first paragraph: Jefferson County has been proactively addressing greenhouse gas emissions since its adoption of its first greenhouse gas reduction goal in 2007, and its creation of a joint Jefferson County and City of Port Townsend Climate Action Committee in 2008. In 2024, the county updated its greenhouse gas emission reduction goal, and adopted a new carbon sequestration goal. See County resolution No. 30-0603-24. These were based on the following reports researched, written and approved by the Climate Action Committee: a 2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the 2020 Greenhouse Gas Community Emissions Reduction Opportunities (based on 2018 inventory), and the Forest and Trees Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2001-2016 and Next Steps. p 5-23 Environmental Action Plan – GHG Emissions and Climate Change: • Focus greenhouse gas reduction efforts on those sources and reduction programs that can have the greatest impact on greenhouse gas reduction (comment: add reference to 2020 Greenhouse Gas Community Emissions Reduction Opportunities (based on 2018 inventory)). • Add new action of “Partner with other organizations and nonprofits to identify and protect the plants and animals most vulnerable to climate impacts.” Formatted: Font: Bold Formatted: List Paragraph, Bulleted + Level: 1 +Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5" Formatted: List Paragraph, Bulleted + Level: 1 +Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5" P 6-30: -P-9.3 Protect air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving the operating efficiency of the overall transportation system, through the effective use of multimodal transportation. P 8-9: The County and incorporated UGAs will jointly develop specific siting criteria for identifying and siting essential public facilities. The proposed criteria will be considered in the drafting of comprehensive plan policy addressing this issue. Elements of siting criteria should include, but not be limited to the following: - … - potential environmental impacts including considering impact on greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the projected climate impacts at the location P 8-42: Policy CF-P-13.7 Encourage providers to implement system improvements to enhance reliability and safety, including preparing for climate impacts. p 8-44: Policy CF-P-17.1 Accommodate additions and improvements to electric utility facilities which efficiently and equitably improve capacity, and reliability, and resilience of regional electrical utility services, particularly when multiple jurisdictional benefits within the region can be achieved, and with a preference for non-polluting renewable energy systems. P 9-13: Water Systems – comment: the current description only refers to stormwater and wastewater. It seems like there should be some description of the impacts to water supply from climate change, including drought and reduction of snowpack (some of which is covered in other sections, but some description here seems warranted.) P 9-18: Collaborating with the agriculture community to prevent soil erosion and soil organic carbon loss, increase carbon sequestration, improve ecosystem and water quality, and encourage peat soil retention in stream corridors such as Beaver and Chimacum drainages. p 9-23: Policy CE-P-3.5 Encourage education and outreach to residents and businesses regarding water conservation strategies as well as the opportunity to collect rainwater to use on their landscape. (Note: see https://ecology.wa.gov/ecologys-work-near-you/earth-day/water-conservation for its mention of this.) P 9-27: Policy CE-P-10.8 Consider opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and increase carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector. Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan Comments 23-May-25 Public Review Draft Comments by Cyndy Bratz, Port Townsend Member of Forest Working Group Reference Page or Section Comment Source GENERAL COMMENTS Comment 1 The Forest writeups in Chapters 1 and 2 appear to not have been edited and favor forestry and timber harvesting, which have large GHG emissions. Please edit to include the Climate Element, forest conservation (carbon sequestration) and economic expansion of tourism and recreational visitation in recent years. Comment 2 Washington DNR does not own land in Jefferson County. The County owns it and DNR manages it. Vision Statement Needs to integrate the Climate Element into goals of the Vision Statement and Framework Goals Please use "Forests" where appropriate rather than "Ecosystem" or "resource area" - Forests and trees are the large carbon sequestration units. After harvest, there may still be an ecosystem or resource area, but the carbon sequestration potential will be significantly lower for decades. Vision Statement p. 2 Second paragraph, correct spelling of Ft WORDEN. Vision Statement p. 2 Insert new paragraph following second paragraph: The remote, lush rainforests of Jefferson County have long been sought out by recreational visitors. Hikers and climbers, campers and picnickers come here in droves for long-term and shorter outdoor experiences. Vision Statement Our Vision for 2045 Add new paragraph right before final paragraph: Jefferson County will enhance resilience to climate change and climate impacts. The County has significant forest carbon sequestration potential, which can be optimized and balanced with other forest management priorities. The County will encourage use of forest stewardship programs, including the Washington State Climate Commitment Act, to implement climate mitigation strategies which improve local economies in a climate resilient manner. p. iv Why Plan? Add between paragraphs 2 and 3: The County has updated their community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal and their sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions goal through joint resolution with the City of Port Townsend (City Resolution No. 24-021). Incorporation of the new Climate Element in this Comprehensive Plan is key to meeting these goals. p. ix 3 states, "O offers a guide…". Incomplete reference, please revise, particularly beginning of this sentence. p. ix Exhibit B Add Climate Element to Exhibit B p. xiii 2 Edit for readability. Suggested Edit as follows (edits are in ALL CAPS for clarity): "THIS 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update EXPLORES distribution of affordable and attainable housing growth in urban areas and two LAMIRDS (Limited Areas of More Intensive Rural Development) that allow residential, and adopts policies that contribute to climate change resilience and mitigation. p. xiii Plan Creation & Amendment, paragraph 1 states, "O below describes…". Incomplete reference, please revise, particularly beginning of this sentence. p. 1 - 8 Sidebar Please edit second sentence as follows (edits are in ALL CAPS for clarity): "Of the public ownership category, approximately 93% is owned by THE COUNTY AND MANAGED BY Washington Department of Natural Resources." p. 1-113 1 Edit as follows (edits are in ALL CAPS for clarity): "…, and mineral RESOURCE LANDS." p. 1 - 113 Forest Add a second paragraph as follows: The forests of Jefferson County provide extraordinary hiking and outdoor recreation opportunities. The commercial significance of forests for recreational visitation is substantial, generating significant revenue and supporting local economies through tourism and related industries. p. 2 - 1 1, second sentence Edit as follows (edits are in ALL CAPS for clarity): "Today, …, and the county must balance completing needs for rural economic development, TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL VISITATION, ... p. 2 - 3 Forest Lands Following the first paragraph of this section, add 2 new paragraphs as follows: In addition to commercial timber production, these forest lands provide important and unique recreational opportunities. Revenue generated from recreational visitation is substantial and supports local economies in a sustainable manner. Forest ecosystems, including trees and forest soils, remove or sequester CO2 from the atmosphere and store it long-term in soils and both above and below-ground biomass. Undisturbed forests remove the largest amount of CO2, and are highly valuable for climate change mitigation. p. 2 - 8 Add to 2-8 Delete second paragraph and replace with this: Reacreational visitation provides substantial revenue to the County, and forest preservattion for recreational purposes has the added benefit of carbon sequestration. Forests are second only to ocens as the world's largest storehouses of carbon. Jefferson County forests have been identified as high-carbon-priority, since they have the highest potential for carbon sequestration and low vulnerability to drought and fire. Forest carbon sequestration via forest preservation can be a viable climate change mitigation strategy. Buotte, P. C., B. E. Law, W. J. Ripple, and L. T. Berner. 2020. Carbon sequestration and biodiversity co-benefits of preserving forests in the western United States. Ecological Applications 30(2):e02039. 10.1002/eap.2039 Commissioner Eisenhour's quote Add to 2-8 and/or Exhibit 5-7 or goal EDG-6 (use whole quote or parts of quote) In 2024, the legislature passed a budget with $83 million from Climate Commitment Act funds to be used to conserve 2,000 acres of ecologically significant forests with high carbon sequestration ability. This is a tool that may be used in the future. Other tools that may be used for forest conservation in Jefferson County are the trust land transfer process, reconveyance of state lands to the county, and the possibility of a collaboratively developed strategy between the state and the county for management of state forestlands. Using these tools, we can work to preserve forests near residential areas, or that can be joined with existing preserves like Dabob Bay Natural Area. We can also work to create contiguous working forests that can be managed sustainably. A breakthrough model for forest conservation, Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Jefferson County commissioner, Port Townsend Leader, Feb 16, 2025 https://www.ptleader.com/stories/a- breakthrough-model-for-forest- conservation,160300 p. 4 - 5 Section 4.3 paragraph 2 Please edit as follows (edits are in ALL CAPS for clarity): Parks, FORESTS and recreation facilities ARE recognized as valuable BOTH to county residents and visitors alike. THERE WERE MORE THAN 600,000 OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL VISITS TO JEFFERSON COUNTY IN 2022. p. 5 - 2 Environmental Considerations, 6th bullet Edit to create 2 bullet points: "- Reducing GHG emissions…" and "- Ensuring that vulnerable populations…" p. 5 - 9, 5 - 10 5.3 Environment Plan This is a very short writeup. Please add language stating that forest protection (resulting in carbon sequestration) is required to meet County/City's updated community-wide sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions goal. See Climate Element. p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan To the category "Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change", edit the first Action as follows, "Encourage businesses and homeowners to TRANSITION FROM FOSSIL FUEL TO ELECTRIC building HEAT source." p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan To the category "Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change", add the following Action: "Encourage businesses and homeowners to reduce water consumption." p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan To the category "Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change", add the following Action: "DISCOURAGE THE BURNING OF WOOD." Add the following Description: "ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS TO TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC BUILDING HEAT SOURCE." Add the second following Description: "DISCOURAGE BURNING OF SLASH FOLLOWING TIMBER HARVESTS." p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan In order to slow the progression of climate impacts and preserve snowpack, protect and expand mature and older forests to increase carbon sequestration. Encourage reduced harvests and lengthen harvest rotation on forested land within the County. p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan Fund and expand County forestry program to include carbon management (optimizing carbon sequestration) on County lands. See Jefferson County, Washington Forests and Trees GHG Inventory for 2001 - 2016 and Next Steps, p. 42 Next Steps p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan Establish a program for transfer or purchase of development rights for forested areas within the County From Forests and Trees GHG Inventory, Next Steps. Or you could refence Commissioner Eisenhour's quote above. p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan Work with DNR to do trust land transfers to County ownership for significant foressted tracts as listed in the Forests and Trees GHG Inventory. From Forests and Trees GHG Inventory, Next Steps. Or you could refence Commissioner Eisenhour's quote above. p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan Support forest carbon management on private lands through education and policy that maximizes carbon storage.From Forests and Trees GHG Inventory, Next Steps. Or you could refence Commissioner Eisenhour's quote above. p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan The County could adopt and/or advocate for goals for carbon sequestration levels on County-owned, state, commercial/industrial and/or federal lands in the County. From Forests and Trees GHG Inventory, Next Steps. Or you could refence Commissioner Eisenhour's quote above. p. 5 - 21 Exhibit 5-7 Environment Action Plan Establish a tree ordinance to encourage retaining standing trees as practical, particularly in urban or developing areas. This would optimize future GHG removal by forests and trees near and within unincorporated settlement areas. The tree ordinance my help reduce the loss of trees during development. From Forests and Trees GHG Inventory, Next Steps. Or you could refence Commissioner Eisenhour's quote above. p. 7 - 8 Sidebar Correct spelling to 'GRAYS Harbor'. p. 7 - 15 First bullet Edit as follows (edits are in ALL CAPS for clarity): "Demographics of Port Townsend and Jefferson COUNTY…" p. 7 - 23 Placemaking for Visitors & Residents Add paragraph describing the increasing demand for recreational tourist accommodation and services development in west Jefferson County. Does west Jefferson County not have an economic development agency? If it does, it should be named. p. 7 - 29, 30 Goal ED-G-6 Add Policy as follows: Promote and encourage development of hiking trails and infrastructure (such as picnic facilities) in forested areas near communities with lodging, restaurants and shops. p. 7 - 29, 30 Goal ED-G-6 Add policy as follows: Protect and expand mature and older forests to increase reactional visitation and carbon sequestration. Encourage reduced harvests and lengthen harvest rotation on forest land within the County. Help stimulate local economies through practices that increase opportunities for recreational visitors. Increase number of hiking trails as practical, along with shelters and picnic facilities as needed along trails. Provide guide brochures that include short hikes and handicapped accessible hikes. Increase the number of camp sites. p. 8 - 8 Essential Public Facility Designations…Paragraph 1 states there are 3 facilities designated, but only 2 are described. Edit for consistency.