The state Department of Natural Resources recently approved a plan to transfer 90 acres of state forest trust land in Skamania County to conservation status while paying the county government $648,795 for the value of the timber that won’t be cut down.
“Funds from this transfer will help support the many services our county provides that are important to the quality of life for our citizens and the fabric of our communities,” Skamania County Commissioner Bob Hamlin said in a press release.
The parcel is home to a number of nesting sites of the endangered northern spotted owl in a remote part of the county about eight miles northwest of Stevenson. It will become part of the Stevenson Ridge Natural Resources Conservation Area, which is managed by the Department of Natural Resources for conservation and low-impact recreation.
Some state-owned forests can’t be logged because they’re home to animals protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. That isn’t a big deal in counties with diversified tax bases, but in Skamania, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, not cutting timber means less money for law enforcement, fire departments and road maintenance.
