By 39-10 vote, the Washington State Senate on Saturday approved a House-passed measure that establishes the Community Forest Trust — a new category of trust land that DNR will manage to help prevent the conversion of working forests into developed areas.
The Community Forest Trust sets its sights on working forestlands on the urban ‘fringe,’ which can be more difficult and expensive to manage for natural resources income. Under the new measure, the trust could acquire suitable forest lands by trust transfer or by purchase from willing private sellers. Instead of supporting state trust beneficiaries’ needs, such as public school construction, the new trust’s lands would need only generate enough revenue to reimburse DNR’s management costs. In other words, break even.
Keeping forestlands in working status has many benefits in addition to local timber jobs; they also support clean air and water, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation.
DNR would place a priority on potential Community Forest Trust lands that could help buffer nearby public or private working forests from encroaching development. Communities seeking a Community Trust Forest acquisition would have to contribute a portion of the acquisition costs, but most of the funds would come from the state’s Trust Land Transfer Program.
Forests in the new trust would be actively managed according to plans developed by DNR with local community input.
The measure, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1421 was previously approved by the House, 55-43. It now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire for final action.
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