CAMAS MILL DISTRICT PLAN
Discussion Draft
January 6, 2026
designated yellow which meant “be set.” The only municipal boundary available for annexation lie within the yellow. All are currently at risk, a risk that grows each year with our warmer and drier climate. HOUSE BILL 118, Chapter 228, Laws of 2023 modified the Growth Management Act’s (GMA) DNA. It amended goal 14, pertaining to climate change as a basic requirement for local government plans to now include resiliency. Resiliency includes municipal costs of defending sprawling development from wildfire. When all aspects of resiliency are considered, there is only one area within Camas’ municipal boundaries available for future growth: the 660 acres Camas Mill property. Though the map is imprecise, the mill property was not impacted, or if it was it was the furthest green zone. This is the one portion of Camas that meets the strictest consideration of wildfire threat. It is highly defendable. The Camas Mill property can yield a planning outcome meeting the requirements of the GMA as amended. Critical Areas (including groundwater) : The GMA requires all cities and counties to adopt development regulations that protect critical areas. These regulations help to preserve the natural environment, maintain fish and wildlife habitat, and protect drinking water. Since the current plan’s adoption, the Camas municipal water supply has tested for the presence of PFAS, otherwise known as “Forever” chemicals. The Mill District Plan provides support for state and NGO efforts. Our Camas 2045 must have a policy specific to the mixing zone update as broad support for the full remediation of mill property. The Mill District Plan provides this recognition supporting future state involvement in ensuring the safety and affordability of Camas’ drinking water. Appendix 5 provides a deeper dive into the current situation in Camas. Making Camas Affordable . As noted by Strong Towns Camas, "Our current approach to local infrastructure produces more liabilities than it does revenues. In other words, the more we grow, the poorer we become. While that growth may improve a city or county’s short-term cash flow, it destroys its long-term solvency. 16 Since the 2015 update, pulping operations at the mill were halted and the massive 12 acre pulping line is set for demolition in 2026. With the loss of revenue from 600 pulp jobs and the removal of two of 2015 largest employers (the school district purchased UL and Sharp after they left), the city’s “structural deficit” will grow. Taxpayers and small businesses, not to mention larger businesses in a competitive global economy, are increasingly burdened.
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/8/22/the-more-we-grow-the-poorer-we-become 16 Page of 11 35
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