CENTER VALLEY — Sharon Hall hopes she’ll hear today that 320 acres of state forest land near her home along Egg & I Road won’t be included in a land swap between the Department of Natural Resources and Manke Lumber Co. of Tacoma.
Hall has waited since November for a decision.
She collected several hundred signatures on a petition against the local acreage being part of the deal in November. The state Board of Natural Resources approved the deal but delayed implementation until its meeting today in Olympia.
Hall maintains that the 320 acres can only be sold through the competitive bid process because it’s part of the Common Schools Trust Fund. She also questions why Jefferson County should give up land to benefit people in King County, where the bulk of land is being traded to create a buffer along Interstate 90.
She also questions the loss of the habitat and the affect on salmon restoration efforts — she says Manke Lumber won’t manage the land with the same care as the Department of Natural Resources.
This full report appears in today’s Jefferson County edition of the Peninsula Daily News. To get your copy via U.S. mail, click on “Subscribe” at left.
