A personal services agreement between Lewis County and lobbyist Robert K. Weidner was approved by the Board of Lewis County Commissioners on Monday for an amount of $15,000.
Weidner acts on behalf of Lewis County in Washington, D.C., for public land, environment and natural resources that are in conjunction with Secure Rural Schools funding.
The Secure Rural Schools Act provides funding for schools and county road improvement and stewardship projects. It’s meant to offset the loss of timber revenues.
Weidner will monitor and provide information that affects public lands for the member counties in 2018, according to information provided by the county.
Commissioner Gary Stamper said that SRS is a vital funding source for Lewis County, especially for the public works department.
He said the money is used to fund a number of different projects, including some that take place in conjunction with the National Forest Service. The goal, according to Stamper, is to get funding through 2022.
Erik Martin, public works director for the county, said that funding prior to 2016 was close to $1 million, although it varied on an annual basis. The money helps supplement the department’s maintenance program.
“It’s going to be impactful if we do not get that funding back very, very soon,” Martin said.
