PORT ANGELES — Four Clallam County commissioner candidates discussed timber management, the economy, jobs and climate change at a primary election forum Tuesday.
Gabe Rygaard, Randy Johnson and Maggie Roth said the economy and jobs are top priorities, while Ron Richards said addressing climate change is his No. 1 goal.
Opinions varied on the idea of the county taking over management of 92,525 acres of county timberlands currently overseen by the state Department of Natural Resources
The 75-minute breakfast meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association was attended by more than 50 people who heard the candidates argue why they should be elected to the position, a four-year Port Angeles-area District 2 seat being vacated by Democrat Mike Chapman.
Only District 2 voters will cast ballots in the Aug. 2 primary.
The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the Nov. 8 general election, where, for the first time in a general election in Clallam County, only District 2 voters will vote to decide Chapman’s successor.
The only-districtwide voting in the general election was voted in last November.
Richards, who will be 71 by Election Day and a Democrat, is a commercial fisherman who was elected Clallam County commissioner in 1976. He served one term before going into law practice.
Johnson, who will be 73 by Election Day and who registered as a candidate with no party preference, is former president of the timberland and wood products company Green Crow Corp. of Port Angeles and current chairman of the board.
Roth, 62 by Election Day and a Republican, is a civil process server and a former owner of Northwest Duty Free and Currency Exchange in Port Angeles who ran and lost against Chapman in 2012.
Rygaard, 45 by Election Day and a Republican, is co-owner of Rygaard Logging Inc. and a former reality TV star on the canceled History Channel TV series “Ax Men.”
The winner of the general election will make $69,864 in salary and $95,032 in salary and benefits in 2017.
He or she will join Commissioners Bill Peach, who has two years on the board in January, and Mark Ozias, who has one.
The candidates varied in their opinions on the state reconveying county timber trust lands that are currently managed by DNR to county management.
The option to request the transfer is being reviewed by the county Trust Lands Advisory Committee. A transfer could occur only with approval by the state Legislature.
Rygaard, calling himself “a jobs guy,” said he is neutral on the question but that the timber industry is dying.
“It’s hard to survive in an industry with a noose around your neck,” he said.
He emphasized that the county owns the timberlands.
“The county is the boss,” he said, raising his fist in the crowded dining room at Joshua’s restaurant in Port Angeles.
Rygaard, touting a less-government agenda, pledged if he did manage timberlands, he would ensure they are sustainably managed and environmentally taken care of.
“I’m out there working every day to protect the environment and do my job,” Rygaard added.
Roth said DNR is managing the land well and is meeting its quota for 2016, adding that she would reserve judgment on reconveyance until the advisory committee makes recommendations.
Roth told the Peninsula Daily News on March 12 when she announced for the position that the county does not have the resources to take over management of trust lands.
She said Tuesday in an interview after the forum that since her comments in March, she has attended an advisory committee meeting and heard a presentation to the county commissioners by Sue Trettevik, a DNR regional manager.
Roth said she still doesn’t think the county has the necessary resources but that she hasn’t made a final decision.
“I still am saying that until the trust land advisory board is done with their time, and they are going to run into 2017, how can I make a decision on something that doesn’t have a complete report?”
At the forum, Roth also said she “supports an increase in naval presence on the Peninsula” as an economic driver.
The county also should follow an economic-growth blueprint similar to the Port of Port Angeles’ strategic plan, she said.
Richards said he was against reconveyance. He added that timber harvests are limited by the federal Endangered Species Act, stream-side setbacks and DNR staffing problems.
The available, harvestable timber supply has been overestimated, he said.
“Listening to the discussion today, you might think the only industry in the county is timber,” Richards said.
“We have another industry, which is tourism.”
Richards said a robust tourism industry is tied to addressing climate change, which he described as his top priority but added that he can’t offer “one magic bullet.”
“The realities are that winters are going to get warmer, the snowpack is going to be less and [winter] is going to last a shorter while,” he added.
Richards also told the group he can’t afford the kind of spending on political signs that Roth, a former candidate for the position, has purchased.
Richards has raised $4,645 in campaign contributions to Roth’s $650, Johnson’s $7,361 and Rygaard’s $3,700, according to state Public Disclosure Commission records as of Tuesday.
Richards also expressed confidence that a majority of District 2 residents vote Democratic most of the time, adding, “I feel a little outnumbered by all these Republicans.”
Johnson disputed that the GOP party affiliation applies to himself, saying he is an independent.
He said he believes in collaborative leadership and that the county is “on the cusp of great growth.”
Johnson said his “gut reaction” to reconveyance is negative, based on the cost, returns to the county and the need to hire new staff.
On climate change, he said people should be “careful about what we think about climate change, about what happens.”
Johnson said a carbon tax makes more sense in cities than in rural areas and that industries such as Nippon Paper Industries USA and Port Townsend Paper should be considered when addressing climate change.
Individuals must decide what issues are important to them and “pick your battles,” Roth said.
“We have issues today that need to be dealt with today and right now.”
There are alternatives to fighting climate change “other than the panic that we’ve seen,” Roth said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
