OLYMPIA — The state Department of Natural Resources is seeking owners of qualifying forestland interested in selling permanent conservation easements to the state.
To be considered for an easement purchase, landowners must submit their applications to DNR by 5 p.m., March 21.
The Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program purchases easements from those whose property includes habitat for species protected by the state Forest Practices Act as threatened or endangered, or which have channel migration zones — areas where a river’s active channel meanders.
These islands of timber are vital to water quality as well as to species like salmon and steelhead, DNR said.
“The Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program provides a great opportunity for willing landowners to be compensated for protecting water quality and habitat,” said Stephen Bernath, DNR deputy supervisor for forest practices.
“We are looking for parcels that provide the best conservation benefits now and for the future.”
Instructions and applications for both the channel migration zone and critical habitat categories are available from the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program found on the web at www.dnr.wa.gov.
Since 2002, the state of Washington has invested $4.4 million to purchase easements through the program.
To qualify for a conservation easement purchase through the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program, a property must be:
■ Located on forestland with critical habitat for state threatened or endangered species designated by the state Forest Practices Board, or that includes a channel migration zone.
■ Identified as either “designated forest land” (Chapter 84.33 Revised Code of Washington, RCW) or “current use timber land” (Chapter 84.34 RCW) on county assessor records.
■ Free of hazardous substances or other site conditions that could jeopardize the fisheries or environmental quality of the site.
Applications will be prioritized for funding based on each property’s unique values.
These include the ecological value of the habitat; the quality, biological characteristics, and significance of the habitat; its connectivity to other protected lands and areas with conservation agreements; and its viability for conservation management.
Landowners who submitted applications, and whose easements were not purchased during the 2013-15 state budgeting biennium, will be offered the opportunity to be considered again during this funding cycle, DNR said.
The program also accepts donations of conservation easements.
Landowners who wish to learn more about the program can reach Dan Pomerenk, program manager, at 360-902-1427 or by email at dan.pomerenk@dnr.wa.gov.
