Sheriff outlines proposed Weyerhaeuser deputy contract to patrol timberlands; county to finalize agreement later

Sheriff Pixley appeared remotely at the June 4 meeting to brief the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on a proposed agreement with Weyerhaeuser to fund enhanced law-enforcement services on timberlands.

Pixley said the contract (listed as C50‑2025) would bring a timber deputy funded by Weyerhaeuser and include the cost of leasing a truck so the position could be largely self-sustaining. For the current fiscal year, because the agreement came late in the budget cycle, the company will fund 600 hours; Pixley said that if the model succeeds, Weyerhaeuser hopes to expand funding to support one to two full‑time equivalent deputies in future years.

Commissioners asked how the deputy would operate in the forest and whether the deputy would both respond to incidents and conduct routine patrols. Pixley said the deputy would be available for direct contact from Weyerhaeuser and would conduct scheduled patrols addressing trespass, illegal dumping and fire‑mitigation activities; the sheriff’s office would also continue the ability to cite trespassers on posted private timberlands.

Commissioners and staff noted the importance of coordination with Public Works to clarify county right‑of‑way boundaries versus private “Weyerhaeuser access” signs; Pixley said the partnership would facilitate conversations to resolve such discrepancies.

Pixley said county staff were finalizing edits to the agreement and expected to place it on a future consent agenda for formal approval. No vote was taken at the June 4 meeting.