Proposals will be accepted until Sept. 30 for program that creates positive conservation outcomes for state lands
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) opened the application period today for the Trust Land Transfer Program, which keeps special places in public ownership while improving the financial performance of state trust lands.
Trust Land Transfer is designed to transfer lands that are economically underperforming but provide important ecological values or public benefits. If funded by the Legislature, DNR will transfer lands identified in this process to public agencies or Tribes for conservation or recreation purposes, and replace them with lands better suited to generate long-term, sustainable revenue to support school construction and local governments.
“The Trust Land Transfer Program is an essential program for Washington state, and its outcomes are something all Washingtonians can all support,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. “Habitat and recreation areas are conserved and critical public services get more reliable funding, all with robust opportunities for Tribal participation and input.”
The application period is open from July 1 through September 30. After the period closes, DNR staff review applications to ensure the proposed transfers are in the best interests of the trust beneficiaries.
An advisory committee then ranks all qualifying proposals based on five objective criteria: community involvement and support, ecological values, economic values, public benefits, and tribal support. When the advisory committee completes its review, DNR will present the proposals to the Board of Natural Resources for approval and then submit a funding request to the Legislature to complete the transactions.
All applications require an agreement from a receiving agency to accept the transferred parcel. Any public agency or federally recognized Tribe is eligible to receive a Trust Land Transfer, provided the receiving entity has the resources to continue managing for ecological values and public benefits.
DNR generates more than $250 million annually in non-tax revenue through the management of trust lands, which are required to generate revenue to support schools, colleges, and critical local services across Washington state. That revenue comes from sustainable forest management, agricultural leases, clean energy leases, commercial real estate leases, and other business opportunities.
Revitalization of the Trust Land Transfer program was a significant project of the 2021 Trust Land Performance Initiative, which focused on identifying tools to address underperforming land assets. This effort, funded in part by the Legislature, is intended to make TLT more consistent, transparent, repeatable, and effective.
Beneficiaries, tribes, industry, and conservation groups collaborated with the DNR for years to refine the tool, develop a new framework, and establish a pilot project to test it.
The proposals for the 2025-27 biennium were the first to be evaluated and ranked through the revitalized Trust Land Transfer program. DNR has implemented several changes after the first iteration of the program, most notably encouraging proponents to reach out to Tribes before submitting applications to foster more meaningful collaboration.
As part of the 2025-27 Capital Budget, the Legislature fully funded three transactions for this biennium: Beckler 6 in King County to the Tulalip Tribes, Okanogan G in Okanogan County to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and South Lake Ozette in Clallam County to the Quileute Tribe. The Legislature also partially funded the Tract C North transfer in Yakima County to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. During the supplemental budget session next year, DNR intends to request full funding for the Tract C North proposal and the four others DNR brought forward this past winter.
Since 1989, Trust Land Transfers have conserved more than 130,000 acres across Washington state, conserving lands in DNR-managed Natural Areas, Washington State Parks, county parks, and more.
Further information on the Trust Land Transfer tool, as well as the application and a guide for potential applicants, is available on DNR’s website at dnr.wa.gov/land-transactions/trust-land-transfer.
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