FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2009
Public hearing scheduled March 31 in Chimacum for proposed exchange of state trust land
Public comments about proposals accepted until April 15, 2009
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public hearing in Chimacum on March 31 to receive testimony about a proposed exchange of state trust land with Pope Resources.
Approximately 3,000 acres of DNR-managed state trust land in east Jefferson County would be exchanged for approximately 4,400 acres of forestland of equal value owned by Pope Resources in Jefferson County.
The public hearing will be preceded by a short, informational presentation about the exchange to share any updates or changes to the proposal since the public meeting that DNR held in November.
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m. Informational presentation
6:30 p.m. Public Hearing
Location: Chimacum School District
Middle School Commons
91 West Valley Road
Chimacum, Washington
Independent appraisals will be used to ensure that the total values of the lands exchanged, including timber, are of equal. The exact amount of acreage exchanged will be determined by the appraisal results and adjusted to reach an exchange of equal values.
Written comments welcome by April 15
Written testimony on the exchange will be received until 5 p.m., April 15, 2009.
Send comments by e-mail to exchanges@dnr.wa.gov or by mail to: DNR, Olympic Region, ATTN: East Jefferson Trust Land Exchange, 411 Tillicum Lane, Forks, WA, 98331.
Comments will be considered by DNR in developing a final exchange agreement. A summary of the comments and the exchange agreement will be presented to the Board of Natural Resources at a regularly scheduled meeting.
Maps and descriptions of the properties will be posted on the DNR website at:
www.dnr.wa.gov/BusinessPermits/Topics/LandExchanges/Pages/amp_exc_east_jefferson.aspx
Or, go to www.dnr.wa.gov Click on the “Leasing and Land Transactions” link and then select the “Proposed Trust Land Exchanges” link found under the heading: Land Exchanges.
PLEASE NOTE: The meeting facility is barrier-free. Persons with a disability who need assistance or information in a different format should call Julie Armbruster, (360) 902-1636, at least 10 days before the meeting for alternative arrangements. The phone number for the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service is 1-800-833-6388.
DNR… caring for your natural resources
DNR manages more than 5.6 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural, conservation, and aquatic lands. These lands include 125,000 acres of Natural Areas that protect rare and threatened species, as well as high-quality examples of the native ecosystems and landscapes of Washington. The department also administers Forest Practices rules and provides wildfire protection for 12.7 million acres of private and state-owned forestlands.
DNR is administered by Peter Goldmark, the 13th Commissioner of Public Lands since statehood in 1889, and the first from Eastern Washington.
Media Contact: Bob Redling, Communications Manager, 360-902-1149, bob.redling@dnr.wa.gov
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