The purchase of a 2,845-acre tract of forestland near Lake Roesiger — approved Tuesday by the state Board of Natural Resources — hinged on a unique partnership between DNR and Snohomish County. Once envisioned as a self-contained rural housing development by a private developer, the acreage was on the market but still priced at its development value. DNR is able to pay the working forest value in these types of purchases, but that’s often less than the development value. Almost $1.4 million less in this case.
Into the gap came the Snohomish County Council, which agreed to buy an easement on 200 of the acres and, as an editorial in today’s Everett Herald explains, purchase an additional 40 acres to use as a park. Snohomish County’s purchases essentially cover the excess development value that DNR could not pay with the funds available from the school construction trust’s land replacement account.
DNR will manage the remainder of the area as working forestland to provide long-term natural resources revenue to the Common School Trust, which helps fund public school construction.
Special thanks to the Cascade Land Conservancy, which helped by bringing the parties together, monitoring the progress of negotiations and contributing ideas and solutions.
The Herald writes: “The public benefit will be considerable. Sound forest management practices will be employed to generate revenue for schools while preserving a valuable scenic landscape. And families soon will have another recreational opportunity nearby.”
DNR planners say there is a fair amount of tree planting, tree stand thinning and other types of restoration work to be done in the area. Developing a recreation plan that encompasses sustainable and compatible public uses of this area will take a couple of years. But these recreation plans do rely on local input, so stay tuned.
More reading: Seattle Times: Snohomish developer’s plot rescued as ‘working forest’ area
DNR Media Center: Board of Natural Resources approves Lake Roesiger land purchase, keeping 2,845 acres as working forest
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EAR TO THE GROUND WITH DNR & COMMISSIONER FRANZ 