As we drive from Whitman College to the Johnston Wilderness Campus (JWC), we pass through beautiful farmland and into a forest. At the state line the paved road becomes gravel, signaling passage from Washington to Oregon, from Walla Walla County to Umatilla County. Though the line seems arbitrary, the quality of the road is not the only difference between one side and the other. Policies regarding hunting, fishing, burning, logging, and building (to name a few uses) vary from state to state and county to county, as well.
The JWC lies just south of the boundary between Walla Walla and Umatilla Counties. To the east of the Campus is the Mill Creek watershed, which is about 21,000 acres, and includes land in both Walla Walla and Umatilla Counties. The watershed is a small part of Umatilla National Forest, which also sprawls across the state line and encompasses approximately 1.4 million acres.
Most practices within the national forest are regulated by the federal government. Hunting, however, is regulated in the forest according to state laws. Links to information on hunting permits and seasons can be found below.
Rules differ between the Mill Creek watershed and the rest of the national forest. While hunting is regulated by the states of Oregon and Washington in the national forest, in the watershed it is regulated jointly by the federal and state governments and the City of Walla Walla. Furthermore, no logging is allowed in the Mill Creek watershed.
The following resources are intended to help present and potential landowners in Walla Walla and Umatilla Counties, and especially along upper Mill Creek, to learn about land use policies that might pertain to them.
Growth, Planning, Zoning
Walla Walla County
Which policies apply to a given property depend
on which zone that property lies in, or how the property is “zoned” (residential,
business, institutional, etc.). Walla Walla County Regional Planning
is in charge of zoning for the rural areas of that county. For city
zoning practices, city planning offices (such as Walla Walla City Planning)
should be contacted. In Umatilla National Forest, land is managed
by the federal government.
One important aspect of planning is minimum lot size. Partially to prevent urban sprawl, there are different minimum lot sizes inside and outside of city limits. Within the city limits and within the urban growth area, lots may be smaller, and the density of buildings is greater. Within city limits, the lot sizes also vary according to building type. For information on zoning within Walla Walla city limits, Development Services should be contacted.
Development
Services for the city of Walla Walla can be reached
by phone at (509) 527-4535,
by mail at
PO Box 478
Walla Walla, WA 99362
or in person at
55 Moore St.
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Although lot sizes are generally larger outside of cities, Walla Walla County Regional Planning cautions against making assumptions—most properties are handled on a case-by-case basis, and to find out the rules for any property, the best thing to do is to contact the planning office for the area. Currently, most rural lot sizes within rural Walla Walla County fall between 5000 square feet and 120 acres (5,227,200 ft2). Within the next year (2000), these numbers may change.
Walla Walla County Regional Planning does not
have an Internet address. They can be reached
by phone at (509) 527-3285,
or by mail or in person at
310 SW Poplar No. 001
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Umatilla County
In Umatilla County, there are two main sizes
for rural residences: two acres and four acres. However, these numbers
may be raised in the future—for example, Oregon’s state government might
place stricter regulations on rural residences, making the minimum lot
size five acres in rural areas. For exclusive farm use, lot sizes
are significantly higher: a minimum of 160 acres. Urban lot sizes
are regulated by cities and are generally significantly smaller than rural
minimums. Besides urban and rural residential zones, there are various
other types as well: mountain residential, forest residential, light industrial,
tourist commercial, etc.
Umatilla
County Department of Resource Services and Development (Umatilla County
Planning) can be reached
by phone at (541) 278-6252,
or by mail or in person at
216 SE 4th St.
Pendleton, OR 97801
Columbia County
Portions of the Walla Walla River drainage basin
and of the Umatilla National Forest lie in Columbia County, which is situated
just east of Walla Walla County. Columbia County Planning also does
not have an Internet site, but can be reached
by phone at (509) 382-4676, or
by mail or in person at
114 S. 2nd St.
Dayton, WA 99328
Forest Practices
Most of Oregon and Washington operate under the
Forest Practices Acts for the respective states. However, the Umatilla
National Forest operates under federal forestry practices. The JWC
is private land and thus falls under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Forest
Practices Act. No logging is allowed in the Mill Creek watershed,
which lies upstream of the JWC.
Access the Oregon Department of Forestry web page for information on the Oregon Forest Practices Act.
The Washington
Department of Natural Resources can be reached
by phone at (360) 902-1422, or
by mail at
Department of Natural Resources
Forest Practices Division
PO Box 47012
Olympia, WA 98504-7012
Access their web page for more information on
forest practices.
(For slash or pile burning information, see Pollution below.)
Agricultural Practices
Walla Walla County
The Walla Walla County Farm Service Agency provides
assistance to agricultural producers in Walla Walla County. Most
producers in this county grow wheat, barley, or oats; occasionally the
agency deals with fruit and vegetable producers as well. Umatilla
County and Columbia County are covered by their respective Farm Service
Agencies.
Walla
Walla County Farm Service Agency can be reached
by phone at (509) 522-6340,
by mail or in person at
1501 Business One Circle, Suite
100
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Umatilla County
Umatilla
County Farm Service Agency can be reached
by phone at (541) 278-8049; or
by mail or in person at
1229 SW Third Ave.
Pendleton, OR 97801
Columbia County
Columbia
County Farm Service Agency can be reached
by phone at (509) 382-2421; or
by mail or in person at
202 S. 2nd St.
Dayton, WA 99328-1327
(For field burning information, see Pollution below.)
Hunting & Fishing
Hunting is regulated by the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife. While the forest is under national jurisdiction, the wildlife within the forest is also owned by the states of Oregon and Washington. In the Mill Creek watershed, however, hunting is regulated by the federal government and the City of Walla Walla.
Hunting seasons vary across state lines and according to different animals and different areas. The following is a brief table of hunting seasons in Oregon and Washington, not including fowl:
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Residential and Field Burning
Walla Walla County Health Department covers residential
and field burning in Walla Walla County. Restrictions vary according
to time of year, weather conditions, and time of day. Among other
restrictions, burning is never allowed with winds exceeding 20 miles per
hour. For residential burning outside of city limits, permits are
$10/year; for farmers, agricultural burn permits are $20/year plus $1 per
acre (as of 1 Jan. 2000). Obtaining a permit involves visiting the
burn control officer at Walla Walla County Regional Planning. Permits
are considerably more difficult to obtain for field burning than for residential
burning. Permits are granted on a case-by-case basis; the best way
to find more information is to talk to a burn control officer. Burning
without a permit is penalized by tickets.
Burning in Forests
Slash burning and pile burning are two common
types of burning in forests. The difference between the two is that
when pile burning, the debris are gathered together in a pile. Natural
piles can be used as well. The county burn control officer handles
burning on forested land, both private and state-owned, outside of the
national forests in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties.
In Umatilla National Forest, burning is handled by the national government.
The Walla Walla County burn control officer can
be reached
by phone at (509) 527-3226,
or in person at
310 W. Poplar
Walla Walla, WA 99362.
Walla
Walla County Burning (which handles forested areas) can be reached
by phone at (509) 925-0968,
or by mail or in person at
Department of Natural Resources
713 E. Bowers Rd.
Ellensburg, WA 98926