An upcoming Clark County Council public hearing could spark debate about environmental impacts to the Chelatchie Prairie area although county records indicate a proposed surface mining overlay is not under consideration this go round.
This week, the Clark County Council will hold a public hearing to determine whether site-specific rezoning requests should be included in the draft environmental impact study (DEIS), a document that evaluates potential environmental impacts and ensures compliance with state regulations, as part of the ongoing update to the county’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan. This meeting will address various requests for boundary expansions and land use changes across the county.
In county lands alone, more than 3,000 acres of site-specific rezoning requests have been made. Among the most controversial is a request from BRP LLC, which seeks to rezone over 1,000 acres in the Chelatchie Prairie area to a surfacing mining overlay (SMO), allowing surface mining for gravel. This request is expected to generate significant debate. Local residents, including John Nanney, president of the Chelatchie Prairie Coalition, have voiced strong opposition in the past.
“They clumped the whole thing together because they wanna turn Chelatchie Prairie into an industrial graveyard,” Nanney said.
Chelatchie Prairie Coalition, an environmental community group that formed this year amid ongoing concerns about impacts from the railroad project, has raised objections not only to the rezoning but also to the Clark County Council’s selection of Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR) as the operator for the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad. PVJR is currently under investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Washington state Department of Ecology for disrupting wetlands and streams. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PVJR’s road construction impacted a tributary of Chelatchie Creek, which supports cutthroat trout, steelhead and Coho salmon.
Nanney also criticized the council’s 2022 approval of an overlay that permits Granite Construction to mine aggregate on a 330.95-acre property in Chelatchie. Last year, the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) ruled that the overlay violated the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and required the county to complete an environmental impact statement (EIS) before granting approval. An appeal is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025, but if the county fails to comply, it risks losing $2.9 million in state grants and loans for clean water initiatives. Nanney stressed the importance of accountability in the council’s decisions.
“We’re finally recovering from the unregulated mayhem that happened from the 1800s into the 1900s that just devastated the fish and the wildlife in this area, and we’re finally turning the corner and recovering. Got streams up here that are finally getting fish in them again and finally starting to rejuvenate, and they want to come in and destroy the very water that’s providing that rejuvenation. It’s just crazy,” he said.
Although county staff’s upcoming presentation and maps include a mention of the overlay, there is no specific reference to surface mining in the Dec. 6 presentation for the public hearing. Additionally, a February 2024 map update shows that the proposed Chelatchie Prairie surface mining overlays are not to be considered for the DEIS. Kathleen Otto said the council’s decision will ultimately determine which proposals will be included in the DEIS.
“If the council allows any of the sites to have a surface mining overlay designation, it will not result in mining outright. There will be an application made to mine the site through a conditional use permit (CUP) process,” Otto wrote in an email to The Reflector.
Clark County Councilor Glen Yung emphasized that any overlays under consideration would require thorough environmental studies, something that was lacking for the 330.95-acre Chelatchie Bluff property.
“I would assume any changes that they are planning to make should be a part of the environmental impact statement,” Yung said.
Among the requests under review are those from several cities and regions, including Battle Ground, La Center, Ridgefield, Yacolt, Washougal and areas within the Vancouver Urban Growth Boundary. These jurisdictions seek to expand their boundaries to accommodate anticipated growth and development in the coming years.
Clark County’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan projects a population of 718,154 residents — an increase of 190,754 from current figures. Employment is also expected to grow significantly, with 88,100 new jobs anticipated, bringing the total number of jobs in the county to 269,000 by 2045. The plan aims to achieve a balanced jobs-to-households ratio of 1:1.
The hearing will allow council members to assess how these proposed boundary expansions align with the county’s long-term goals for land use, housing, infrastructure and environmental sustainability. Public input will also play a key role in the decision-making process.
The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver, Sixth Floor Hearing Room.
