🌲 Timber Tensions & Infrastructure Fixes: 9/3 - 9/18 BOCC Recaps + Next Steps
The Skamania County Commissioners approved contracts for sewer, E911, and bus upgrades, launched outreach to tribal partners, and warned of declining timber revenues. Budget season is here—see what's in store and how to join the next meeting.
🏔️ Skamania County Board of Commissioners – September 3-18 2025 Round-Up
📆 September 3, 2025 – Regular Meeting
💼 Financial Approvals
- ✅ Vouchers approved: $366,753.86
- ✅ Payroll approved: $718,826.07
- Preliminary mention of 2026 budget preparation.
📆 September 9, 2025 – Regular Meeting
💼 Financial Approvals
- ✅ Vouchers approved: $115,883.40
📝 New Contracts & Agreements
- Lease agreement finalized with WA State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). The building was previously purchased by the county but lacked a formal rental agreement. The county will now begin receiving back rent.
- Approved amendment to Tyler Technologies ERP contract to add a capital assets module for better tracking of equipment and infrastructure.
📣 Tribal Board of Health Outreach
- Commissioners reviewed state guidance requiring counties to invite tribal representatives to participate in local boards of health.
- Draft letters to local tribes were approved for sending. The BOCC affirmed that a Board of Health seat remains open if any tribe wishes to appoint a representative.
📆 September 16, 2025 – Regular Meeting
💼 Financial Approvals
- ✅ Vouchers approved: $199,351.52
🚍 Transportation & Emergency Services
- Approved contract renewal with Motorola for E911 system maintenance.
- Authorized purchase of a replacement transit bus for county transportation services.
- Approved interlocal agreements for USFS collaborative work (invasive species control, vegetation management).
🏥 Public Service Agreements
- Approved updated agreements with American Legion and Skamania County Hospital District.
- Resolutions passed for interfund loans and reimbursements related to shared service costs.
📆 September 18, 2025 – Workshop & Commissioner Discussion
🌲 Forestry & Revenue Concerns
During a workshop discussion on September 18, Commissioner Leckie voiced strong concern about the way state and federal forest management policies are impacting Skamania County’s revenue base, especially for schools and rural services.
“We need to start separating out the issue of encumbered lands from the broader narrative of conservation… Not all forests are created equal. These are working forests, and they were promised to fund schools. Now they’re being used as leverage in a totally different policy conversation.”
He warned that current Good Neighbor Authority timber sales, where the U.S. Forest Service retains revenue from federal lands, are not benefiting counties directly, and yet are being promoted as substitutes for local timber harvests.
Leckie emphasized the need to push back against efforts to “bundle” school trust lands and encumbered working forests into large-scale preservation-oriented strategies, suggesting that this undercuts counties’ financial autonomy.
He called for more transparency from DNR and federal agencies, and suggested the BOCC should prepare to engage in state legislative sessions with a clear platform on:
- Revenue offsets for encumbered forestland
- Legal protections for trust land funding streams
- Local prioritization of sustainable harvests over carbon-credit land locking
🗓 Budget Workshop Prep
- Commissioners discussed scheduling upcoming budget workshops with departments.
- Noted that early 2026 budget estimates show cost increases in emergency services and facility maintenance.
📅 Upcoming BOCC Meeting Info
🛎️ Next Meetings:
Monday–Wednesday, September 22–24, 2025
📍 Skamania County Courthouse
🕘 Each day begins at 9:30 AM (see times below)
🔗 Join via Zoom
📞 Dial-in: 1-346-248-7799 • Meeting ID: 889 0632 1210
🗂️ Agenda Preview
🗓️ Monday, Sept 22 – Budget Workshops
- 10:00 AM – Prosecutor’s Office
- 1:30 PM – Clerk’s Office
- 3:00 PM – Community Health
🗓️ Tuesday, Sept 23 – Regular Meeting + More Workshops
- Consent Agenda:
- Reappointments to Homeless Housing Council
- Resignations from the Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board
- Set public hearing for Supplemental Budget #3
- Interagency agreements with:
- AOC (Blake decision costs)
- Dept. of Commerce (GMA update grant)
- Dept. of Health (COVID & maternal-child health)
- Carelon Behavioral Health (contract amendment)
- 10:00 AM – Department Head Reports
- 10:30 AM – Safety Committee
- 11:00 AM – Sheriff Workshop: discussing the creation of an Auxiliary Program, potentially similar to the Klickitat sheriff's "posse"
- 1:00 PM – Assessor’s Budget Workshop
- 1:30 PM – Noxious Weed Program Budget
- 2:00 PM – Public Works Workshop: Grange discussion
🗓️ Wednesday, Sept 24 – Final Workshops
- 9:30 AM – Sheriff’s Office
- 12:15 PM – Superior Court & Juvenile
- 1:00 PM – Probation Department
- Adjourn
📝 View full agenda & packet here
📝 Submit public comment before noon the day before: commiss@co.skamania.wa.us