PORT ANGELES — Armed with the endorsement of Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Doug Jensen, Clallam County lawmakers are expected to renew Lake Sutherland Management District No. 2 in today’s Board of Commissioners meeting for the continued eradication of Eurasian milfoil.

Jensen filed his recommendation in advance of Monday’s work session, in which the three commissioners indicated they would extend the district through 2014.

It spares the county an awkward vote of affected landowners on the formation of a new management district that would mirror the old district. The vote would be run by the clerk of the board instead of the county auditor because of the cost of a special election.

Since voters first approved the district in 2004, property owners whose lots access Lake Sutherland have paid $50 per parcel every year to support a Eurasian milfoil control project.

The scenic, 360-acre lake 14 miles west of Port Angeles became infested with the non-native noxious underwater weed in the late 1990s.

The weed can be hazardous to swimmers and boaters, and it kills native species.

County crews and hundreds of volunteers have eradicated most of the Eurasian milfoil in the 80-foot-deep lake.

But there are more weeds to pull, said Cathy Lucero, noxious weed control coordinator for Clallam County.

Monitoring needed

The lake needs to be monitored regularly be-cause Eurasian milfoil spreads quickly, she added.

“We don’t even know if we’ve been reinfested as we go along,” Lucero told the commissioners Monday.

This year’s volunteer cleanup days are slated for Aug. 8 and Sept. 12.

Close to a dozen Lake Sutherland landowners spoke in favor of continuing the management district in a public hearing June 21.

Commissioners Mike Doherty, Steve Tharinger and Mike Chapman delayed action until today to give Jensen time to review the legal ramifications of continuing the district.

Earlier in the work session, Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict brought up a proposal to amend county code to remove the proof of rabies vaccination requirement for licensing a pet.

The purpose is to improve licensing compliance in Clallam County, where just 15 percent of dogs and 5 percent of cats are licensed.

Licensing fees are going to the animals and the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, Benedict said.

He said that the prevalence of rabies is low on the Peninsula.

“All dogs are required to get a vaccination for rabies,” Benedict said.

“That won’t change.”

The amendment would uncouple the vaccination requirement from the licensing paperwork. The commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposal Aug. 18.

Eventually, the Sheriff’s Department wants to have one form for pet licensing in Clallam County to include the cities of Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks.

“This is the first step in getting that done,” Benedict said.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office has applied to renew a $45,000 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) grant to combat sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking crimes in the county.

The money will be split evenly among victim’s services, law enforcement and prosecution.

The sheriff’s office is the lead entity for the renewable grant, which starts Oct. 1 and expires in September 2010. It comes with a $15,938 match.

Nine other agencies are participating with the Sheriff’s Department. They are Healthy Families of Clallam County, Forks Abuse Program, Port Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and Port Angeles, Sequim, LaPush, Makah and Neah Bay police.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Department has administered the STOP grant for the past eight years.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.