In Our View: Herrera Beutler for commissioner of public lands

Washington’s commissioner of public lands is a complex job that must balance environmental and economic concerns. Because of her understanding of that balance, The Columbian’s Editorial Board recommends that Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler be elected.

As always, this is merely a recommendation, designed to provide information and foster discussion. The Columbian suggests that voters examine the issues and the candidates before casting an informed ballot.

In Herrera Beutler, a former six-term congressional representative from Southwest Washington, voters will find somebody who has a deep understanding of those issues. As a congresswoman, she demonstrated a wonkish willingness to delve into the details of an issue and she often worked on legislation relating to forests and aquatic environments.

During an interview with the Editorial Board, she said: “I decided I’m not going to leave our kiddos a legacy of burning forests. The whole purpose of this job is to return value to the people of Washington.”

The commissioner of public lands oversees the state’s Department of Natural Resources, which manages 3 million acres of forest, range, agricultural and commercial lands — along with 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands. The importance of the job has been highlighted in recent years as climate change has altered the environment.

“Things are getting warmer,” Herrera Beutler said. “We have to deal with that. Are we going to manage it with science, with a scientific approach?”

As The Seattle Times explains, the commissioner “oversees the state’s largest firefighting force, the harvest and sale of timber on private and state lands, and the leasing of public lands and waters for everything from growing shellfish to grazing cattle and generating wind energy.”

Herrera Beutler and Democrat Dave Upthegrove, who is chair of the King County Council, have differing views on how best to manage those resources.

Upthegrove, who did not make himself available to The Columbian, says he would pause sales on an estimated 77,000 acres of legacy forests. “My proposal isn’t to change how we’re harvesting, it’s to change where we’re harvesting,” he told The Seattle Times.

Herrera Beutler argues that the lands have been designated for sale under the State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan. “The Supreme Court and state courts have affirmed that you can’t pull land out of the trust,” she said.

That approach reflects Herrera Beutler’s strong tendency to follow guidelines rather than view the position as an opportunity for activism. She was, for example, one of 10 House Republicans to vote in favor of President Donald Trump’s second impeachment. It also reflects an approach that can build bipartisan coalitions among legislators rather than catering to extremists on either side.

There are other significant topics facing the commissioner of public lands. But whether talking about methods for generating revenue or protecting aquatic lands or improving forest health, Herrera Beutler demonstrates a strong understanding of the details.

The Editorial Board recommends a vote for Herrera Beutler as commissioner of public lands.