Chamber Forum

Over the last several years Lewis County has worked to complete the Comprehensive Plan in complying with the Growth Management Act (GMA). Several elements to the Comprehensive Plan remain unfinished or unaccepted by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board. One of critical concern to the Chamber is the Agriculture Resources Lands (ARL).

In 2003 the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board found Lewis County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan Chapter on Agricultural Resource Lands invalid or often referred to as "invalidity." As a result about 133,000 acres of rural lands were put in a moratorium for future development until the Hearings Board received a new plan that is in compliance.

The Hearings Board’s findings concluded that Lewis County had not adequately defended their plan to put 47,000 acres in Agricultural Resource Land. They also ruled that the County needed to show why the lands placed in moratorium should not be in the plan. Further, they contended the county stipulated on-farm-non-farm land uses that were not in compliance. The County appealed the Hearings Board decision to the Courts, sought legislative relief, and appointed an Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (AgTAC) to rewrite the plan to meet compliance.

The AgTAC sent a proposed revision to the Lewis County Planning Commission in 2005, and the Planning Commission made further changes to the plan until September 2006 when the Washington Supreme Court ruled that part of the Hearings Board finding was in error and remanded the plan back to the Hearings Board and Lewis County. The State Legislature in the meantime passed legislation allowing on-farm-non-farm land uses. These significant changes invalidated much of previous submissions to the Growth Board. Lewis County then withdrew all non-compliant submissions and received permission to submit a revised corrected plan by October 2007. The Planning Commission is working on the revision.

Ron Averill, who has participated in GMA planning since the County was mandated to plan under the act, chaired a Citizen’s Advisory Committee which rewrote the County’s Rural Development plan that was found invalid. Averill also chaired the AgTAC, which recommended Agricultural Resource Lands Revisions. Averill is now a County Commissioner. He will talk at the August 13 Chamber Forum about the impacts of the Court findings, new legislation, and how the County plans to rewrite the plan to be in compliance.

The Chamber supports the work of Lewis County in achieving compliance with GMA. The Chamber is however concerned that the long term ARL designation will work in reverse of its intent. Our community’s agriculture make up has change over the last several decades and placing a long-term designation on private property limits its financial ability. This limitation affects private property owners’ ability to secure necessary loans to operate farmer or to change uses.

The Chamber Forum provides an opportunity to receive an update on the County’s work on the Comprehensive Plan and to discuss issues surrounding the ARL designation. On such topic is the recent legislative changes to on-farm-non-farm land uses and how they will be applied. The Chamber encourages landowners and interested citizens to attend the forum which will be held from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at The Aerie Ballroom located at 219 S. Tower in Centralia.