Nature Conservancy Announces 48,000 Acre Purchase, Largest WA Land Acquisition in its History

The Nature Conservancy bought 47,921 acres of checkered forestland in the Central Cascades for $134 million from Plum Creek, a timber company.


This is significant for two other reasons. First, take a look at the map.

The 75 square miles is spread from Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum. Most if it is land-grant checkerboard sections. But look at that contiguous acreage along the southwest boundary of the relatively new Teanaway Community Forest, itself already a historically significant transfer. Effectively it just got bigger. Much bigger. NC's state director says the land will stay open "to ensure that people can continue to enjoy fishing, hunting, hiking and cross country skiing."

Second, note this sentence in the news story about Nature Conservancy's plans:

As part of the conservation effort, the organization will be thinning some of the forestland to stave off wildfire threat, in addition to rehabilitating land worn down by logging. 

A large, savvy, conservation-driven organization recognizes that thinning is important to reduce the risk of wildfires. Thinning does what fire would have done 200 years ago.

This timber tract was used like any commercial farmland: grow fast and dense, harvest for max profit, replant. It was, after all, private property. Thinning (versus unsustainable cyclical clearcutting) and rehab are a major commitment to an area twice the size of Manhattan.

The story says the area contains 1,000 species of of plants and wildlife, including salmon, spotted owl, wolves and some 16,000 elk.