HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter Cabin Creek ProjectKittitas County, Washington
BOARD oFCOLINTY
COMMISSIONERS
District One
Cory Wright
District Two
Laura Osiadacz
District Three
Brett Wachsmith
August 18,2020
Julie Armbruster
WA Department of Natural Resources
Conservation, Recreation and Transactions Division
PO Box 47014
Olympia, WA 98501
RE: Forest Legacy Program Proposal; CabinCreek Forest Legacy project
Dear Ms. Armbruster:
The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners supports the Cabin Creek Forest Legacy project submitted to
DNR's Forest Legacy Program by The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Kittitas County has been listed as one of the 10 quickest growing counties in the nation. With the pressure
we are seeing on our private and public lands we believe the time is right to move forward with a project
such as this. Under the Department of Natural Resources stewardship this land will be able to be kepi as
working forests and continue The Nature Conservancy's goal to restore the forests of the Central Cascades
to be more resilient to fire, disease and a changing climate.
The Cabin Creek Forest Legacy Project proposes the conservation of 5,870 acres amongst an ownership that
consists of a number of small and large private forest landowners, the state of Washington, and the
Wenatchee National Forest. The watershed has functioned as a working forest, with timber harvest in the
lower Cabin Creek valley since the 1930s and in the upper basin largely from the 1960s through the 1980s.
This project will continue the legacy of working forests through DNR management as Community Forest
and/or Trust Land, consolidating the agency's existing holdings in the area. It will promote holistic forest
management practices, protect valuable habitat for threatened wildlife, and protect the working forests that
our organization supports.
The Cabin Creek Forest Legacy Project will provide long-term value to the people of Kittitas County and
the state of Washington. Please don't hesitate to reach out to the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners
should you have any questions about our endorsement of this important project.
Sincerely,
Kittitas County Board of
Laura ice-Chair Cory Wright, Commissioner
Kittitas County Courthouse . 205 West 5dAvenue, STE 108 . Ellensburg, WA 9g926
(s09)962_7508 FAX (509) 962_7679
Brett Chairman