FSEC’s land‑use consistency hearing centered on whether the Cascade Renewable Transmission Project’s proposed route is consistent with local land‑use plans and zoning ordinances in Skamania County, the City of Stevenson and North Bonneville.

Applicant environmental planner Malia Bassett summarized on‑land components in Washington: the project includes temporary horizontal directional drill (HDD) areas, temporary HAB staging areas and buried HVDC cable segments that together run roughly 4 miles in unincorporated Skamania County and shorter sections in North Bonneville and Stevenson. She said the on‑land segments were proposed in existing public rights‑of‑way and in zones the applicant contends permit utility facilities.

Applicant counsel Tim McMahon told the hearing that much of the route is underwater and that public rights‑of‑way and franchise/permit authorities (including RCW 80.32.01 authority to grant construction in streets) are the preferred locations for linear infrastructure; he advised FSEC that local zoning and comprehensive plan provisions do not expressly prohibit the underwater portions and that, where necessary, administrative review processes could permit underground utility facilities.

Local questions and municipal participation: several commenters and counsel for NGOs pressed that the cities of Stevenson and North Bonneville must appoint and seat municipal representatives for hearings touching their jurisdictions. North Bonneville planning adviser Richard Hall said he had only recently received a consistency certificate to review and plans to bring the matter to his city council next week.

Shoreline and federal‑use issues: Columbia Riverkeeper and others said portions of the shore are designated as "natural environment" in local shoreline master programs and that utility corridors are expressly limited or prohibited there unless alternatives are shown. The Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission reminded the council that parts of the river within Skamania County are treaty fishing Zone 6 and include multiple in‑lieu fishing access sites that federal and tribal authorities maintain.

Next procedural steps: the ALJ will draft findings and conclusions on consistency; the applicant indicated it is seeking certificates of consistency from local jurisdictions but that, absent certificates, FSEC will review applicable local provisions and make a determination under RCW 80.50.090. Public commenters requested more time to submit written comments and clarified evidence on shoreline and zoning matters.