The Washington State Board of Natural Resources approved the purchase of 640 acres of forestland in Clark County to add to the Yacolt Burn State Forest during its meeting Tuesday morning in Olympia.

 

The parcel, which cost $855,000, was purchased with the proceeds of prior land sales. It is currently an inholding within the Larch Block, the westernmost portion of the Yacolt Burn State Forest. Acquiring the inholding makes the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ lands in the area more efficient to manage, eliminating the need to acquire road use permits before beginning timber harvests.

 

“This purchase is an investment that protects this area from development, and an important step to keep working forests working in Southwest Washington,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz.

 

The parcel will be put into DNR’s Land Bank, where it will be held until it is designated at a later date to support a specific trust. The Land Bank is essentially a holding area for desirable properties acquired by DNR waiting to become trust lands, and former trust lands waiting to be sold.

 

About 75 percent of the parcel burned during the Nakia Creek fire in October 2022. After the purchase is complete, DNR will invest $115,000 into reforesting the burned-over portions of the newly acquired parcel. The Nakia Creek fire burned 1,918 acres of land in Clark County, much of which is within DNR’s Larch Block.

 

Since 1980, DNR has added more than 100,000 acres of forestland to public ownership through its transactions program.

 

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Communications Manager

360-902-1000