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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS June 22, 22, 2016 | 75¢
Port Angeles-Sequim-West End
Pawing it forward
Committee: Keep lands under state Ad hoc group votes against reconveyance BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
JESSE MAJOR/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Tony Braun, kennel tech at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, walks 7-year-old Myra through the trail system at the new shelter on Old Olympic Highway near Port Angeles.
Humane society now in position to give back society shelter at 1743 Old Olympic Highway late Monday night, finishing a cross-country road trip that started last week.
this transport to have these three hounds come here.” This is a unique position for the humane society because the shelter has never been in a posiVolunteer drivers tion where it could help others, she said. Volunteers from around the “Our old place was horrible. BY JESSE MAJOR nation took turns driving the It was small and we really PENINSULA DAILY NEWS dogs from Florida to Port Angecouldn’t do much,” she said. les, said Mary Beth Wegener, PORT ANGELES — Now “Here, we have a lot more executive director of the humane settled into its new facility, the space. We thought if we could society. Olympic Peninsula Humane help another shelter, that would “Our vet has a friend that Society already has expanded be pretty cool because we spent into helping house animals from runs this rescue in Florida who a long part of our history asking basically tries to get dogs out of shelters around the nation. for help.” high-kill shelters,” she said. Three hounds from a shelter TURN TO HUMANE/A8 in Florida arrived at the humane “They connected and set up
Bigger PA shelter is able to help other facilities
PORT ANGELES — Clallam County should not seek reconveyance of its state-managed forest lands, an ad hoc committee has recommended. The Clallam County Trust Lands Advisory Committee voted 14-1 Friday against a recommendation that the county request the state Legislature to allow it to take back the management of its revenue-producing timberlands. Instead, the committee will explore ways to help the state Department of Natural Resources maximize returns on 92,525 acres of DNR-managed forests in the county. “They made an important decision,” Clallam County Commissioner Bill Peach said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “I look forward to supporting them through the rest of the year as they have their conversation about ‘What are the other options?’ ”
Timber sales Over the past six months, the 20-member ad hoc committee has heard a series of presentations from state and federal officials on the environmental constraints and regulatory requirements affecting timber sales. Protections for the marbled murrelet, riparian zones and reduced staffing at DNR were three big reasons why the agency failed to sell some 92 million board feet of Clallam County timber that was supposed to be sold from 2005 to 2014, DNR Deputy Supervisor for State Uplands Kyle Blum told the
group in March. Several have blamed that unsold timber — arrearage — for the demise of Clallam County mills and the loss of Peach millions of dollars to the county and junior taxing districts such as schools, hospitals, libraries and fire departments. Arrearage helped to motivate a 10-4 majority of the Charter Review Commission to recommend the formation of Trust Lands Advisory Committee last year. County commissioners tasked the committee to study the “history, issues, benefits, challenges and advantages of reconveyance” and make a recommendation back to the board. Now that reconveyance is off the table, the committee will “provide guidance to ensure a continual engagement with the [DNR] on how it is promptly and adequately fulfilling its trust lands objectives to Clallam County, its taxing districts and its citizenry,” according to its charge.
County forester One option that will be discussed by the advisory committee is to add a forester to the county payroll. Peach, who represents 21 timber counties on the state Board of Natural Resources, described the recent vote as “good progress.” TURN
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State legislative candidates debate taxes 2 hopefuls at odds on income issue BY JESSE MAJOR PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT ANGELES –– Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman of Port Angeles proposed a state income tax for highincome households and changes in the state business and operations tax during a debate between two of the three candidates seeking a 24th District seat in the state House of Representatives. Opponent George Vrable of Port Ludlow, a Republican, agreed with Chapman, who filed as a Democrat, about the business and operations tax, known as a B&O tax, and opposed any state income tax during a Port Angeles
Business Association forum attended by about 50 people Tuesday. It was the first time the candidates for the Position 1 seat representing the 24th Legislative District have debated since they filed for office. Ballots for the Aug. 2 primary will be mailed July 15. In the state’s top-two primary, the top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 general election regardless of party affiliation.
Third candidate A third candidate, Tammy Ramsay of Hoquiam, who filed as a Democrat for the Position 1 seat, did not attend the forum and
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Chapman said. Chapman said the B&O tax should only apply to a business’ net profit, calling the current B&O tax an “income tax” on small-business owners. “I want to see B&O tax reform. I want to see real tax relief for small-business owners, sole proprietors,” Chapman said. B&O tax “I want to quit this argument that we don’t have an income tax Vrable agreed on Chapman’s in this state. We sure as hell do.” proposal for B&O tax reform. Vrable agreed with Chapman’s The tax is currently applied to proposal to change the B&O tax. a business’ gross income, which is unfair to small businesses, TURN TO FORUM/A7
he said. “I don’t trust giving the Democrats an income tax,” he said. “Once something like that is established, it’s hard to bring back.” Washington state Treasurer Jim McIntire in April proposed a 5 percent personal income tax to pay for education.
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could not be reached by phone or email Tuesday. The 24th District covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County. Chapman called for an income tax for single people who make more than $200,000 annually and families earning more than $400,000 annually. He also called for sales tax relief for low-income people. “You cannot convince me that it’s fair a small-business owner making $50,000 to $60,000 a year is taxed and a Microsoft millionaire isn’t,” Chapman said. “How does that benefit the 24th [District]?” Vrable, a retired firefighter, doesn’t support any personal income tax in Washington state,
BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE LETTERS NATION/WORLD
B5 B5 B4 A9 B4 A8 B4 A9 A4
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PENINSULA POLL PUZZLES/GAMES SPORTS WEATHER
A2 B7 B1 B10