Trust Land Transfer Program receives funding and revitalization in time to consider West Tiger Mountain
On May 9, 2023, Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1460, which addresses the Washington state Department of Natural Resources’s (DNR) land transactions, including the Trust Land Transfer Program. The Trust Land Transfer tool will now receive its highest level of funding in the past decade.
Trust Land Transfer (TLT) is a tool employed by DNR, which manages more than three million acres of state forest and rangeland. DNR has a dual mandate, and the land it manages must serve two purposes: 1. Generating revenue, and 2. Protecting wild spaces for conservation and recreation. TLT was established by the state of Washington in 1989 and provides a pathway for certain lands to serve solely the second purpose. In other words, those lands are protected for recreation, education, wildlife, and conservation.
When land is assessed for TLT, DNR looks at a number of variables, including revenue-generation performance, conservation value, and recreational potential. If DNR determines that the public and environmental benefits outweigh the state revenue-generation benefits, it can transfer that parcel of land to its Natural Areas Program, a Tribe, or another public agency. DNR will then purchase a new parcel of land to account for the lost revenue.
Source: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/lm_tltp_legrep_draft.pdf
It is important to note that the revenue-generation mandate for DNR’s public lands funds a variety of important programs, like building schools, universities, libraries, fire stations, and other public institutions, as well as funding local services across the state of Washington. Traditionally, that revenue is generated through logging. This helps account for WA’s logging dominance, as our state exports 25% of the nation’s lumber products. However, DNR has explored other revenue-generation solutions in recent years, including carbon capture programs.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Trust Land Transfer program. Since its inception, it has preserved recreational spaces that are well-known to most Washingtonians, including Mt. Si, West Tiger Mountain, Oyster Dome, Mailbox Peak, Blanchard Mountain, and Deception Pass State Park.
Oyster Dome: Preserved by the Trust Land Transfer Program
Part of HB 1460 allocated $19.57 million (of the $25.6 million DNR requested) to DNR to fund six projects across the state, accounting for 5,225 acres of land for recreation and conservation. Of those six parcels, DNR will review one in the Issaquah Alps area: West Tiger Mountain. If accepted, the DNR Natural Areas program would preserve 99 acres of West Tiger Mountain solely for recreational use. In addition to having high recreational value, the 99 acres of West Tiger Mountain also bears 120-year-old trees and Soderman Creek, a salmon-bearing stream.
West Tiger Mountain: Peak 3
The Issaquah Alps Trail Club collaborated closely with Mountain to Sound Greenway to advocate for the passage of HB 1460. In early January 2023, IATC leadership traveled to Olympia to meet with legislators and advocate for the bill’s passage. While in Olympia, IATC and Mountain to Sound leadership met with legislators from Washington’s 5th district, which includes the Tiger Mountain parcel currently under consideration. They also met with Senator Christina Rolfes of Bainbridge Island to thank her for her sponsorship of the bill in the Senate. Due to IATC’s public-facing advocacy efforts, 591 supporters signed “Pro” to support TLT. This stands in stark contrast to the 10 “Con” votes. Thanks to IATC, Mountain to Sound Greenway, or our partners’ and supporters’ efforts, TLT is fully funded, revitalized, and considering important conservation impacts in our own backyard. You can read more about the Trust Land Transfer program on DNR's website. IATC looks forward to working with our land management agencies to use Trust Land Transfer to place more land in the Issaquah Alps area into conservation status.
West Tiger Mountain: Recreational trails
Written for The Alpiner by Alex Machetanz