Editor,
Clark County has thousands of local children graduating each year from high schools or colleges. They deserve to live and work where they were raised, if they so choose. But, Clark County’s regulations are so strict and onerous, that it is nearly impossible for them to do that. As a result, the children are forced to move out of the county for lack of housing and forced to find jobs elsewhere. Statistics show more than 80,000 persons drive tens of miles to jobs in Portland. Over 90% of Battle Ground’s population commutes out of the city for work.
A new climate change state law now requires each county to reduce the miles that are traveled to provide carbon reduction and a reduction in the use of fossil fuels. But existing Clark County codes and rules would make it impossible to comply with the new law. People are forced to drive or commute long distances to earn a living wage to support themselves and their families. Regardless if one uses gas vehicles, electric vehicles or public transit, the wear and tear on the roads is the same and increasing by the day. In addition, on our roads and highways there are more and more trucks that must use diesel or gas fuel to haul their heavy loads long distances.. Those roads require maintenance, repair and construction, using massive amounts of processed fossil fuel.
Clark County needs to find ways to reduce road miles internally. Our communities are well suited to provide jobs close to home with shipping ports and rail lines at their fingertips. Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield and Woodland have the opportunity for shipping and rail service. They have land for manufacturing jobs, but it’s quickly being used up for warehouses and storage units. Battle Ground, La Center and Yacolt have the ability for rail service and all contain large land masses. But that, too, is being consumed by warehouses, storage units and environmental preservation.
Planners are required to plan for future generations in Clark County, but they have missed the mark substantially. With new state laws, existing planning doesn’t work now and won’t work in the future. A good way to reduce the carbon footprint and use of fossil fuels is to plan for and encourage jobs that are close to the people, where the people want to live. Clark County is well suited to job production, and citizens should not have to travel more than 10 minutes to get to their jobs.
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad is a “gold mine” asset that can solve many of these problems. When it was first created in the late 1800s and sanctioned by the Washington State Transportation Department, it provided jobs, transportation and commute. That rail line existed before the mainline to Seattle was built. Yet there are those who want to make it a “dead horse” in the name of environmentalism.
Before the climate change law took effect, the Washington Growth Management Act added a section to the state law that allows Clark County to utilize the railroad for jobs in rural areas and for all Clark County residents. In addition, the railroad is not beholden to any city and can provide jobs anywhere land is adjacent to the line, independent of a city sewer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our children could live and work where they were raised, throughout our county? The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad can provide that for them, if only good planning would prevail. But it is clear, the new state laws are requiring the county to do things differently and future generations of Clark County will depend on it.
Carol Levanen
Yacolt
