DNR hearing tonight on trust land transfer

Representatives of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may get a variety of opinions from Wahkiakum County residents when they hold a public meeting tonight (Thursday) on a proposed transfer of county trust timberland (see adjacent story).

The issue came up for discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the county board of commissioners with Commissioners Dan Cothren and Blair Brady welcoming the move and a couple citzens expressing opposition.

Under the proposal, the DNR would transfer 67 acres of county trust timberland to the department's conservation area program and compensate the county with a contribution to purchase new timberland.

The land is part of some 3,000 acres of county trust timberland that is encumbered, or withheld from harvest, because it has large trees that qualify as nesting habitat for marbled murrelets, an endangered species. The DNR has pulled the timber from its harvest plans since it started working in 1997 on a habitat conservation plan for marbled murrelets.

Cothren added that the land is very steep and has unstable slopes that disqualify it from logging under the state's Forest Practices Act.

Cothren said the transfer is the first in a series of installments that will exchange encumbered lands of Wahkiakum and other timber counties for land that can be purchased and logged to produce revenue for the counties.

"It has taken a long time to get here," Cothren said. First Cothren and representatives from the other timber counties worked with the DNR and legislature to pass a bill to reimburse the counties for the encumbered lands. Then they had to pass a second bill to set up the cooperative, unitary trust for the timberland that will be purchased.

Two citizens expressed concern that the DNR was taking away county trust timberland.

"I feel like you're letting in the nose of the camel," said Kathleen Hogan, adding that she thinks the state will take over control of all county land.

"They're already here," Cothren said.

"Prior to getting the legislation passed, the state had no mechanism to compensate the county for encumbered lands," Commissioner Brady said.

"I think the transfer of any property to the state or federal government is a tremendous mistake," said Maurice Mooers. "They have no idea what they're doing. What they want is complete control of the lower Columbia estuary. Let them lease the land so it's still ours."

Cothren replied that he agreed with some of Mooers's points, but it isn't feasible for the county to pass up the potential timber harvest revenue.

"We get some reimbursement, or we don't get income, and the county is no more," he said.