01-22-18 City Council Agenda Packet

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chieving fiscal sustainability for communities across Lane County is heavily reliant upon the ability to leverage local funding mechanisms against funding available through federal programs. With the reduction of federal assistance through programs such as Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investments Partnership program, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Land and Water Conservation Fund, education programs, and justice programs, we face reductions in service. Our communities have worked hard throughout the Great Recession to reduce the costs associated with services, create new funding sources, and expand existing revenues as much as possible, but we are still falling short. We seek increased levels and year-to-year stability in federal funding available for local jurisdictions for transportation, housing, health and human services, and the criminal justice system. Lane County urges our delegation to continue to work on federal forest policy to reform public Lands management in order to produce healthy and productive forests, including the following: Realistic annual timber harvest goals for each forest. While the harvest levels of the NW Forest Plan have never been met, they still stand as an important benchmark. With respect to the 0&C lands, Lane County believes an annual harvest of 450-500 mmbf/yr would generate almost $9M annually for Lane County's general fund revenue. Provisions for land swaps. The patchwork nature of these lands increases the risk to neighboring private lands, and it is not conducive to wildlife corridor development. Land management policies that not only address timber harvest levels, but also look to provide adequate resources to mitigate the significant impact of wildfire in the region. A solution to the over -reliance on the National Environmental Policy Act to stall or slow timber sales. Environmental litigation continues to drain dollars from federal agency budgets better spent on actual management, and leaves our forests prone to wildfires, which exacerbates fire borrowing, and further encroaches on staff's ability to manage lands effectively. Legal certainty for public land managers. With certainty, revenue will automatically flow to fund local government services and agency undertakings, and will stimulate employment. Ensuring that National Forest revenue meant for schools is not supplanted by state budget writers. Closing the loophole on stewardship contracting so that federal timber revenue is fully shared with counties. Expanded good neighbor authority to address watershed protection and restoration and forest land roadway improvements.