"Tourism is an extremely important and valuable component of Washington State’s economy." Lieutenant Govenor Brad Owen

Dear Citizens of the State of Washington:
As I travel across Washington I am often impressed by the sheer beauty of our state, from the pounding waves of the Pacific over our western shores to the rolling hills of the Palouse that cover our Southeast region. In between we have Mt. Rainier, the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States and other peaks in the Cascades and Olympics, scores of thundering waterfalls, an archipelago of charming islands, awesome gorges and thousands of acres of protected wildlife preserves and recreational lands. Read More

9/27/06 Eatonville Dispatch

Nisqually Land Trust acquires 400 acres near Mount Rainier

The Nisqually Land Trust announced it has acquired 404 acres of timberlands outside Ashford, Washington, near the main entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The Land Trust purchased the land from Pope Resources for $1.4 million with a federal land acquisition grant through the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

It is the largest deal in the Land Trust's 17-year history and will permanently protect habitat for spotted owls, marbled murrelets, and bald eagles, all of which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

As part of the multi-party transaction, DNR will hold a conservation easement on the property in perpetuity, ensuring its use as habitat and preventing future development. In a separate transaction, DNR will also transfer into permanent conservation status an additional 406 acres of spotted-owl habitat within Tahoma State Forest, which it will manage as a Natural Resources Conservation Area.

The Land Trust's purchase completes the first phase of its Mount Rainier Gateway Initiative, which calls for permanently protecting some 4,500 acres of timberlands between the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Elbe Hills and Tahoma state forests.

The Initiative's goal is to protect critical habitat around Mount Rainier National Park while preserving local forestry and tourism jobs. "To protect habitat in perpetuity, you have to make it part of a sustainable system," said Joe Kane, executive director of the Land Trust. "In the Ashford area, that system includes working forests, recreational opportunities, and a commitment to the long-term health of the community."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funded the transaction with a grant from its Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. Winning the grant was the result of a partnership that included the Nisqually Land Trust, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Nisqually River Council, and the Nisqually Headwaters Coalition, an Ashford-based citizens' group.

"The Nisqually watershed community is nationally recognized as a leader in cooperative conservation," said David Troutt, chairman of the Nisqually River Council. "It's extremely gratifying to see that ethic at work protecting a national treasure like Mount Rainier and the tremendous diversity of life that surrounds it, including the Nisqually River."

"This transaction is a great example of a 'win-win' outcome for both conservation and industry interests," said David L. Nunes, President and CEO of Pope Resources. "We have a responsibility to deliver economic returns to our investor owners, and in this case we were able to balance that objective with recognition of other important values, such as protection of wildlife habitat, view corridors, and water quality."

In 2005 Pope Resources began the permit application process to harvest the mature timber on the property. Last fall, after meeting with representatives of the Nisqually River Council, the company agreed to delay the harvest and to sell the property to the Land Trust. The company has extended its deadlines several times to give the Land Trust time to raise money. "Pope Resources has been a full and very patient partner in this effort," said Kane. "It had every right to walk away from this deal, and it didn't. That says a lot about their commitment to arriving at a win-win solution."

"We really appreciate Pope Resources for working so graciously with our community and allowing us the time to reach this perfect solution," said Judith Scavone, a founder of the Nisqually Headwaters Coalition. "We are also grateful to the Land Trust and to Omroa Bhagwandin, of the Department of Natural Resources, for stepping in at the eleventh hour and helping to put this deal together."

"We are pleased that DNR can help to facilitate good land conservation projects such as the Ashford acquisition," said Doug Sutherland, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands. "The benefits of protecting these areas go far beyond the local areas that surround them. These partnerships help in the support of healthy forests and our objectives of habitat protection."

"Credit is also due the Nisqually River Council, for their ongoing work with our community and other landowners in the upper Nisqually Valley," added Mary Foster, another Headwaters founder. "This is a very significant achievement and an important step toward balancing a healthy ecosystem and a vibrant economy."