© Steven Robertson/iStock

Corporate tax code changes and stricter timber management regulations have timber companies, such as Boise-Cascade and Plum Creek, reconsidering their long-term timberland ownership in the Pacific Northwest. As historic land ownership changes, more working forests are converted to development. These corporate timber lands have long been considered as “quasi-public” lands, especially by Washington’s hunters, because of the public access allowed on them. If these ownerships become destination resorts or housing developments, or are broken up and sold to individuals, it will have a devastating effect on wildlife such as elk and mule deer and drastically reduce public access on hundreds of thousands of acres in the Central Cascades.

The changing ownership patterns in the Central Cascades are forcing the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to reanalyze their future plans in this area. As alternate sections (640 acres to a section) of the checkerboard landscape are sold to private parties, the DNR gains new neighbors with differing long-term goals surrounding each section of their ownership. The DNR must now deal with often conflicting views on timber harvest practices, slash burning, noxious weed treatment and road maintenance among its new neighbors. Thus, the DNR is severely handicapped in their ability to generate timber revenue for the public school, university and other trusts as required by law.

For the past two years, The Nature Conservancy, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Seattle Sportsman’s Conservation Foundation, the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep and others have been involved through financial contributions in securing critical checkerboard lands from developers and timber companies. The 10,400-acre Tieton Canyon acquisition project secured lands interspersed with Wenatchee National Forest lands and placed them into Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) ownership. The 12,047-acre Ahtanum Land Exchange project secured checkerboard lands from the same developer, allowing the DNR to establish the new Ahtanum State Forest. These two projects avoided potentially disastrous impacts to large tracts of important winter range for bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk and year-round habitat for many other wildlife and fish species.

The current dilemma

	© Lance Schelvan/RMEF

Now we face another challenge on our doorstep of a magnitude seldom seen before. If we successfully meet this challenge, we will secure a landscape for wildlife and future generations of Washington recreationists. And if we fail, we will realize consequences that are almost unimaginable for those of us who have grown up, hunted and enjoyed the recreational opportunities in the Central Cascades.

The concern pertains to lands formerly owned by Boise-Cascade. In 2005, Western Pacific Timber acquired these lands in the Central Cascades.

Western Pacific is assessing all of these new holdings. That assessment will determine which parcels they harvest and sell, which they will hold onto for long- term forest management, and which, if any, they will develop. There is already one destination resort near Cle Elum, and there has long been talk of resort development potential in the Naneum Basin because of the proximity to Seattle (people are already commuting to work in Seattle from the Kittitas Valley). The high average annual snowfall and the immediate proximity to the Mission Ridge Ski Area are attractive to potential resorts. Local community development groups have recently secured funding to study the feasibility of constructing a paved, all-weather road from the town of Kittitas to Naneum Basin to access the Mission Ridge Ski area. Such a paved road would greatly facilitate day use of the ski area by skiers from western Washington. If development projects materialize, it is not unrealistic to envision another resort community similar to Sun Valley, Idaho on these critical wildlife lands.

In the long-term, no industrial forest owner can effectively manage a commercial forest under a checkerboard ownership with residences or cabins on all sides. Commercial forest owners (such as the DNR) simply have to “block-up” larger landscapes to make forest management viable. The DNR has made an agency decision to attempt to block their ownership in Washington’s Central Cascades. Blocking the land will allow them to better maintain roads, execute large-scale forest management plans, and manage public use. If they are unable to secure these alternate checkerboard ownerships, the DNR may be forced to dispose of (sell) their lands and use their equity to invest in properties in western Washington which will allow them to maximize revenues to the trusts as required by state law. If the DNR were to cease operations in the Central Cascades, hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and public land used for outdoor recreation will be lost.

At risk are important winter range and migratory corridors for thousands of elk, mule deer and other species. The Yakima office of WDFW estimates a loss of the former corporate timber lands and the current DNR holdings will force the agency into drastic management strategies which could include a dramatic reduction in the elk herd (perhaps as much as 8,000 animals). The impact on mule deer will be just as staggering. WDFW sources indicate that somewhere between 12,000 -15,000 mule deer will feel the effects of major impact to their traditional migratory routes between summer and winter range. Mule deer are typically not as adaptable to impediments in their traditional migratory routes so the loss of these lands could be disastrous.

An equally important loss would be that of future recreational opportunity. Hunters, campers, hikers, horseback riders and others spend tens of thousands of recreation days each year on these lands. A loss in recreational opportunities could mean increased pressure on other nearby public lands, creating a domino effect of diminishing outdoor experience.

A solution on the horizon

	© Lance Schelvan/RMEF

When the Central Cascade timber lands were acquired by Western Pacific, the DNR contacted the company and expressed interest in the Naneum Basin lands. Over the past months, the DNR and Western Pacific have been working on a large land exchange. This exchange would allow the DNR to trade scattered, less desirable holdings and receive large portions of the Naneum and several other landscape-size holdings (e.g., Ahtanum, upper Wenas and others) that provide critical wildlife habitat.

That land exchange, and three additional land exchanges on adjoining lands would protect huge portions of the central Cascades. In the proposed scenario, well over 300,000 acres will change hands in the next three years. As designed, the project will block-up ownership for both WDFW and the DNR, making the landscape more manageable for wildlife and State Trust timber revenues as required by law.

This effort can be defined as four separate, but related projects:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) – Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Land Exchange (#86-079794) [MAP]
WDFW already owns much of the critical shrub-steppe winter range in the L.T. Murray, Colockum, Oak Creek, Wenas and Quilomene wildlife areas. However, the landscape is dotted with DNR ownership. In the exchange, WDFW would receive the DNR lands and would trade higher elevation lands with DNR. Over 170,000 acres will change hands between the two agencies. WDFW will show an increase in acreage in this exchange due to the higher land value of timberland compared to shrub-steppe. The DNR can manage the higher elevation lands for timber production and WDFW will more effectively manage the large shrub-steppe landscape at lower elevations. 

Central Cascade Land Exchange (#86-079379) [MAP]
The DNR is interested in securing former corporate timber-lands to block up their ownership. Western Pacific Timber is willing to exchange if DNR takes all of the timber company’s current holdings in the Central Cascades (approximately 82,000 acres). The DNR will then trade scattered parcels in Chelan, Clark, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grays Harbor, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima Counties (approximately 36,000 acres). This will be a very expensive and labor intensive project. Because the DNR is attempting to perform this exchange in conjunction with the WDFW-DNR exchange and two other private party exchanges, personnel and financial resources will be extremely stressed. All public and private lands will require an appraisal and timber value assessment prior to the exchange. Although a majority of the funding will come from existing public budgets and Western Pacific Timber, the magnitude of these projects will leave the DNR short of funding to execute the entire package.

West Ahtanum Land Exchange (#86-079483) [MAP]
North Cascades Investments (NCI) owns approximately 9,000 acres of lands in a checkerboard ownership pattern with the DNR in the upper Ahtanum Creek Drainage in Yakima County. NCI wishes to block up their ownership to facilitate effective forest management. This exchange would leave NCI as a major landowner and timber operator in the upper Ahtanum drainage. The DNR has a signed letter of intent from NCI to pursue the exchange.

North Fork Ahtanum Land Exchange (#86-079370) [MAP]

	© Rance Block/RMEF

The Ahtanum Irrigation District (AID) owns approximately 7,400 acres of lands in a checkerboard ownership pattern with the DNR in the upper Ahtanum Creek Drainage. AID also wishes to block up their ownership to facilitate effective forest management. This exchange would leave AID as a major landowner and timber operator in the upper Ahtanum drainage. The DNR has a signed letter of intent from AID to pursue the exchange. 

A comparison of the Conceptual Future Land Ownership map with the Current Land Ownership map illustrates the continuity of public land ownership that will result if these exchanges are successful. That continuity is critical to the survival of large ungulates like mule deer and elk that require extended habitat corridors to migrate to and from lower elevation winter ranges.

In terms of wildlife diversity, these exchanges are about much more than just elk and deer. For example, a mature Ponderosa Pine savannah can provide habitat for 15 species of amphibian and reptiles, 89 species of birds and 43 species of mammals. Similarly, a subalpine fir ecosystem can provide for nine species of amphibian/reptiles, 50 species of birds and 36 species of mammals. The project will also protect a multitude of aspen communities, oak woodlands, shrub-steppe, and riparian habitats. These healthy habitats form the base for the entire watershed including streams and eventually rivers.

The very nature of an exchange means both sides give up something. The DNR will likely give up someone’s favorite hunting or recreational area. And some of these exchange parcels will have high wildlife values. The public will give up ownership in portions of Chelan, Clark, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grays Harbor, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima Counties. In return, the DNR would receive lands in Kittitas and Yakima Counties. Lands will change hands between the DNR and WDFW in Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Stevens, Whatcom and Yakima Counties. As planned, all four of these exchanges will result in approximately 74,000 acres of additional public land in the central Cascades. After considering the lands to be given up by the DNR and WDFW in other areas of the state to pursue the exchanges, Washington residents will gain an additional 45,000 acres of public land.

These exchanges are critical to the future of wildlife in the Central Cascades. It is important that people understand the big picture of securing critical, landscape-scale corridors of wildlife habitat, even if it means giving up other parcels across the state. 
 
Summary
The actual cost to perform the two exchanges and the acquisition is well into the millions of dollars. The DNR will more than exhaust their entire biennium budget for operating funds to perform the necessary timber cruises, appraisals and associated exchange tasks to make this landscape change a reality. Since it is an all or none proposition, they have approached the Elk Foundation to secure a minimum of $200,000 to assist with the exchange costs. To date, the Elk Foundation, the Kittitas County Field and Stream Club, National Wild Turkey Federation, the Mule Deer Foundation, the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council and the Central Washington Chapter of Safari Club International have expressed public support of the exchanges and have committed to financial contributions.