[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6267862,"mediaKeyId","3061703-b3c4280b4d2a849846a3948f6fe2e866","parentId",3061703,"title","County staff present tree-canopy assessment showing 61% rural canopy, maps highlight prairie–forest trade-offs","audioSeconds",744,"startMs",2495000,"endMs",3239000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3061703-b3c4280b4d2a849846a3948f6fe2e866&start=2495&end=3239","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3061703-b3c4280b4d2a849846a3948f6fe2e866/thumbnail_2495000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6267862/Thurston-County/Washington/County-staff-present-tree-canopy-assessment-showing-61-rural-canopy-maps-highlight-prairieforest-trade-offs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267862-a1f74f692e14083033e729d76f8a789f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185431&Signature=WShZil0MWxtmFt-eFcCUnTzEGvjp-iRXV888eTDV-49JcmiN3uU3zUEx4uxfk6RcI8itF-RZjhILOeWLr5ahc0M1ii~qmEE5OjK1wuM2IOlTfhE9bpqPDPcK79VO6UJbpv5fbwWo5sdBf3YeoVZKmYBqys26wlaX0d0qiO-KSpbGk0mJVfyOVks3Imp6d4k6EL1T5OwTtvzBhbCVkhq1HZ8qULhNvfj-ojrfdRFZcMdj4sJR6JDJ5sKuc8KG7~G8FMWx2kB03-jKCmeIGntnXfYZoCE7rgDUvV0FDWhpdMhVoocLQfweV7NGaU~zpmmnUlM3s9BnjRrXF0J-hyVDkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Thurston County, Washington","date","2025-04-19T16:49:27.213Z","article","County staff presented highlights from a draft tree canopy assessment at the April 16 Planning Commission meeting, showing about 250,000 acres of tree canopy across rural Thurston County and mapping areas with high potential for canopy restoration and areas where forest encroachment threatens prairie soils and Oregon white oak habitat.

Claire (county staff) said the analysis uses LiDAR collected by the University of Vermont, reported at an accuracy of about 97 percent, and aggregates data into 250-acre hexagons so maps show landscape patterns rather than site-specific property lines. Staff reported three headline findings: 61 percent of the rural county is tree canopy, 68 percent of that canopy is on private land, and 48 percent of the canopy falls on land zoned for residential uses. The packet provided to commissioners includes more than 15 maps and accompanying tables and narrative still in draft form.

The assessment includes a restoration-potential map that flags hexagons with few trees and few competing land uses as higher priority for canopy restoration, and a separate map showing where prairie soils are overlain by canopy — an indicator of forest encroachment onto prairie and Oregon white oak habitats. Claire said the maps are intended to help prioritize where to plant trees and where to restore prairie open space, noting there is limited overlap between high-potential tree-restoration areas and areas where prairie soils are presently covered by trees.

Commissioners and members of the public asked how the assessment will be used in regulation and programs. Staff said the first regulatory application will likely be the periodic update of the county’s Critical Areas Ordinance (expected in 2026–27) and that the data could also inform grant applications, programmatic restoration efforts, and regulatory tools for conservation. Staff cautioned that at a 250-acre aggregation scale the maps are not a substitute for site-level biology or hydrology work; restoration planning for specific properties would require site-scale studies and qualified biologists.

Speakers highlighted the cultural and ecological importance of prairies and Oregon white oak, reminding commissioners that indigenous stewardship (for example, controlled burning) historically maintained open prairie and oak habitats. Commissioners and public commenters asked staff to include methodology details and appendices in the final report so the dataset and mapping choices are transparent when the county uses the assessment for funding or regulatory decisions.

Claire said the draft report will be finalized and made publicly available and that staff welcome feedback on additional analyses or uses for the assessment. The commission’s discussion continued into the comprehensive-plan item; staff indicated they will bring the finalized assessment materials to future hearings and to the proposed Critical Areas Ordinance update.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 16, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","County staff previewed a draft tree canopy assessment for rural Thurston County, reporting roughly 250,000 acres of canopy (61% of rural county), restoration-potential maps, and areas where forest encroachment threatens prairie and Oregon white oak habitat. Commissioners and public asked how maps will inform regulations and restoration programs.","taxTitle","taxId",4614,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6267866,"Thurston County planning commissioners hear widespread calls to make climate crosswalk language actionable ahead of public hearing",6031,269000,6300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3061703-b3c4280b4d2a849846a3948f6fe2e866&start=269&end=6300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3061703-b3c4280b4d2a849846a3948f6fe2e866/thumbnail_269000.jpg","/articles/6267866/Thurston-County/Washington/Thurston-County-planning-commissioners-hear-widespread-calls-to-make-climate-crosswalk-language-actionable-ahead-of-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267866-c500f1e59d035687fbea336e64c57632/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185431&Signature=najwQBedKtfBWvlEWArk0dGt7yPNO-~1q8goPHia7x9SqYsk4TRibDW-gNR1udXUDsAiR71QmCpU2WOmLv3WhKkQVlnL9dXiTGsfNdQVKtdXJFnmEopy9USHE3zwRmUheVVyTQAZ-i~vkU46-7MlHeFe4bwUNMwOxdZ-M0QfxRQffwrBwbjMhO3eiIkSCh3rNXTPWsGkdRQO~hHTSk1EX~r53VCWaX-csdclyA93wHhvgQh~H9WY~qIKE3xdnWNbb653preNf5CBBEDSiOqVTBBMBUQmL7WXy0pZS6yxr6gecNzd-Vq3Dd35sTevNT5D0BvzE89QTuQix6JD~qlhiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Thurston County Planning Commission on April 16 heard more than a dozen public comments urging the county to replace vague, “study” and “encourage” wording in the comprehensive plan’s climate implementation crosswalk with concrete, enforceable actions.

Speakers representing neighborhood and environmental groups, including the Thurston Climate Action Team and the South Sound Sierra Club, told commissioners the crosswalk between the county’s adopted Thurston County Mitigation Plan (TCMP, 2021) and the Thurston 2045 comprehensive plan update still leaves significant gaps. Several speakers said the draft often cites “encourage” where the TCMP uses stronger verbs such as “require.” Paris McCluskey of the Thurston Climate Action Team said 42 of the TCMP’s 72 actions are partially or fully represented in the draft but many are ambiguous and could be read as optional.

County staff defended the crosswalk as a tool showing where TCMP actions align with current comprehensive-plan language and said the public-hearing draft intentionally highlights related policy text that can be strengthened. Ethan (county staff) told the commission he used only the formally adopted TCMP actions for the crosswalk and marked related comprehensive-plan policies as starting points for staff and commissioners to edit.

Commission discussion focused on two recurring themes raised by the public: (1) converting implementation entries from passive language (\"study,\" \"encourage\") into action-oriented items where feasible, and (2) identifying near-term, cost-effective projects — the “low-hanging fruit” — that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions quickly. Commissioners asked staff to draft revised language that (a) prioritizes high-impact, low-cost measures for early implementation and (b) clarifies where Thurston County will lead, pilot or model regional coordination efforts rather than wait for full regional agreement.

Public commenters gave specific examples they want reflected in the implementation plan: mandatory water meters or a county bulk-install program for permit-exempt wells (a recommendation to limit new exempt-well use to about 350 gallons per household per day), stronger language requiring energy audits or energy performance disclosures for commercial buildings, and faster deployment of LED lighting and other retrofits. Several speakers noted perceived delays on prior TCMP commitments — for example, county-led LED retrofits remain “in progress” five years after the TCMP’s adoption — and urged the commission to adopt TCMP wording directly where appropriate so the comprehensive plan creates clear accountability.

Commissioners and several speakers also raised process concerns: some crosswalk entries point to regional implementation without saying whether Thurston County intends to pilot actions locally or lead regional work. Commissioners directed staff to revise crosswalk entries to make county intent explicit (lead/pilot/model/implement as appropriate) and to identify opportunities to use alternative project delivery (performance contracting, public–private financing) to speed implementation while managing budget impacts.

Formal business at the start of the meeting included approval of the March 19, 2025 minutes; the motion to approve was seconded and the commission voted in favor. The minutes vote was recorded as passed in the meeting audio and minutes packet; the transcript does not list an itemized roll-call tally.

The commission asked staff to return to a future meeting with (1) draft, action-oriented wording that tightens crosswalk language to reflect TCMP commitments where feasible; (2) an inventory of near-term, high-impact measures the county can implement or pilot without waiting for broader regional agreements; and (3) suggested procurement or funding approaches (for example, performance contracting) to accelerate implementation. Staff said the public-hearing draft will remain subject to further edits after the April 24 public hearing and that the commission will have additional opportunities to review specific wording before final recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.

Votes at a glance: Move to approve March 19, 2025 meeting minutes — motion seconded; outcome: approved (vote tally not specified in transcript).","Public commenters and county staff debated the draft comprehensive plan’s climate “crosswalk,” urging more specific implementation language and near-term actions; commissioners directed staff to draft clearer, more actionable wording and to identify low-cost, high-impact steps for quicker implementation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County staff present tree-canopy assessment showing 61% rural canopy, maps highlight prairie–forest trade-offs

Thurston County planning commissioners hear widespread calls to make climate crosswalk language actionable ahead of public hearing