Agencies coordinate hearings

County meeting on land-use issues; Forest Service plans trails meeting

By TY BEAVER

H&N Staff Writer

November 4, 2007

   Les Wilson said the issue first emerged at a public meeting in Sprague River . 

   The interim Klamath County planning director said an individual commented at a meeting on the county’s effort to make changes to wildlife overlays. But he also brought up the U.S. Forest Service’s travel management project that could close some forest service roads. 

   Unfortunately, the individual’s comments combined the issues, and confusion has since spread, Wilson said. 

   Public hearings 

   Now the county and U.S. Forest Service are both preparing to host public hearings on their respective issues. Though both issues affect similar parts of the county, forest service and county officials said it is important people understand each issue separately so they can frame their input accurately. 

    Klamath County will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday on land-use code issues for construction setbacks and density standards in land designated as winter grazing for wildlife. 

   The Forest Service Tuesday will have the second of several public hearings regarding its travel management project to designate trails for off-highway vehicles. 

   Both issues concern areas that are primarily rural but under increasing development a nd home construction. About 4,500 residential lots, or more than 13,000 acres, yet to be built on are within the overlay area. Some have access only by Forest Service roads.
   As a result, Rich Kehr, an official with the Winema-Fremont National Forest , said he isn’t surprised that the two issues confuse some people.

Confusion, complaints 

   That confusion led to a litany of complaints registered at county’s planning office. 

    Wilson said concerns about changes to the overlay affecting use of Forest Service roads and other matters are creating misinformation about what the county is proposing. 

   “We’re trying to lighten it up,” he said. 

   Proposed revision 

   In its proposed revision, the county would ease standards of constructing homes in the overlay areas, such as requiring they be within a certain distance of a road. The revision would not affect existing homes or add more land to the overlay. 

   Kehr said he’d yet to hear similar complaints, but that may change as hearings for travel management project occur throughout the month.  

Public hearing on wildlife overlays     

When: 6 p.m. , Tuesday.
   
Where:

Klamath County Government Center , second floor, Commissioner’s hearing room. 

   The Klamath County Planning Commission will hear testimony on revisions to the county’s wildlife overlays before making a recommendation to the Klamath County Board of Commissioners. 

   Attendance for the meeting is expected to be high and testimony will be limited to five minutes per person. Planning staff will record names at the door for those who wish to testify.

Public workshops on Winema-Fremont National Forest travel management project

Staff with the Winema-Fremont National Forest will host a series of meetings in November to give the public the ability to comment on off-highway vehicle use on federal forest lands. All meetings are scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m.

Nov. 6   — Paisley , United Methodist Church .

Nov. 8   — Chiloquin, Chiloquin Community Center .

Nov. 13 — Lakeview, Lakeview Interagency Office.

Nov. 15 — Klamath Falls, Klamath Lake Room at Shilo Inn.  

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