Stevens County issued the following announcement on Oct. 30.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of County Commissioners of Stevens County, Washington (hereinafter the “Board”), pursuant to the provisions of RCW 90.94.020 that the Board will hold a public hearing at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, the 30th day of November, 2020, in the Stevens County Board of Commissioners Office, 230 E. Birch Avenue, Colville, WA 99114.
The purpose of the public hearing will be for the Board to receive public testimony regarding the “WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum”.
In 2018, the Washington State Legislature enacted the Streamflow Restoration Act, codified in Chapter 90-94 RCW, requiring initiating governments (Spokane County, Stevens County, Pend Oreille County, City of Spokane, and Whitworth Water District), in collaboration with the planning unit, in certain watersheds including WRIA 55, to update watershed plans adopted under Chapter 90.82 RCW to address future permit-exempt domestic groundwater withdrawals from 2018-2038.
On July 16, 2018, the WRIA 55 initiating governments entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to guide the development and approval of an update to the “Watershed management Plan – WRIA 55, Little Spokane River and WRIA 57, Middle Spokane River” known as “WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum” to meet the requirements of Chapter 90.94.020 RCW.
Between November of 2018 and September of 2020 the initiating governments have collaborated in the development of the WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum and the planning unit recommends that the initiating governments approve the WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum. Upon approval by a super majority vote (2/3) of the initiating governments, the WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum will be submitted to the Washington State Department of Ecology for adoption in accordance with Chapter 90.94.020 RCW.
Copies of the “WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum” are available for public inspection at the Stevens County Land Services Office, 260 South Oak Street; Colville, Washington. For additional information regarding the WRIA 55 Watershed Plan Addendum, please contact Erik Johansen, Stevens County Land Services Director, at (509)684-2401.
Pursuant to Proclamations issued by Washington State governor Jay Inslee, #20-28.11, open public meetings/ hearings will be conducted virtually via WebEx until at least November 9th, 2020. Meeting link: https://stevensco.webex.com/stevensco/j.php?MTID=m6c5b5c9ba15ca07ca1444334572ade82. Meeting number: 146 508 0573; Password 1234; to join by video system, dial 1465080573@stevensco.webex.com, or dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number. To join by phone: Local calls: 509-684-7555 or long distance – United States Toll numbers: +1-206-207-1700 (Seattle) or +1-503-388-9555 (Portland) with access code 146 441 8504.
Should the Governor’s proclamations be lifted after November 9, 2020, the meeting shall occur in person and the meeting location will be barrier free. Additional information with regard to accessibility or notification of an ADA accommodation please contact Michelle Enright, Clerk of the Board, at (509)684-3751.
Original source can be found here.
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