HomeMy WebLinkAboutDabob Area Inter-Trust Exchange 86-100443 ProposalO� com
w4��oN �oG�O
March 13, 2023
Board of County Commissioners
1820 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Kate Dean, District 1 Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Greg Brotherton, District 3
DNR, Dabob Bay Inter -Trust Exchange
Attn: Bob Winslow,
P.O. Box 47014,
Olympia, WA 98504-7014
[E-mail to: Exchanges@dnr.wa.gov ]
Dear Mr. Winslow:
We appreciate the hard work of you and other DNR staff over the past several years in persisting with DNR's
proposed Dabob Bay Inter -Trust Exchange 86-100443. We strongly support DNR's proposal to permanently
protect all 826 acres of remaining Forest Trust parcels within the portion of the Dabob Bay Natural Resource
Conservation Area (NRCA) that was expanded in 2016. The proposal will also provide $8.5 million in new
Forest Trust lands in East Jefferson County to replace the 786 acres of Forest Trust lands that have severe
timber harvest constraints, improving the long-term economic value of the Forest Trust lands to Jefferson
County and its junior taxing districts.
We understand that DNR must complete the Inter -Trust Exchange, including a decision by the Board of Natural
Resources, by June 30, 2023 or lose the legislative funding. We also understand that, given the increase in
appraised values, DNR is short $2.2 million needed to complete the full exchange unless they can successfully
transfer over some existing RCO grant funding that was secured for other Dabob Bay projects. We urge you to
make every effort to secure this necessary funding so that the project can be completed in full. Please let us
know if what we can do to help.
We support the use of candidate School Trust parcels C1 through C16 as needed and feasible for the full
exchange to occur. At the Public Hearing, you noted that C1 through C14 School Trust lands were likely to be
needed because their total updated appraised value (land and timber) is approximately equal to the appraised
value for the Forest Trust lands to be protected, at approximately $8.5 million.
The balance of acreage between affected junior taxing districts is also promising for the use of C1 through C14.
For example, the 786 acres of Forest Trust lands within the Dabob Bay Natural Area include approximately 626
acres in the Quilcene Fire District and 160 acres in East Jefferson Fire District (Thorndyke parcel). In
comparison, School Trust parcels C1 through C14 total 1,180 acres, including 820 acres within the Quilcene
Fire District and 360 acres with East Jefferson Fire District. We ask that you continue to strive to balance
exchanged lands within the various junior taxing districts as feasible and reasonable, with the primary goal of
completing the full exchange in a timely fashion.
Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us
We believe that the proposed Inter -Trust exchange represents a clear and significant step up in revenue value
for the county and its junior taxing districts due to DNR's severe timber harvest constraints on the 786 acres of
Forest Trust land related to protection of globally imperiled plant associations, streams, wetlands and unstable
slopes. The $8.5 M in appraised land and timber value here is based on private industry regulations, not the
limited amount DNR can actually harvest under its more restrictive policies and regulations. In contrast, the
"new" Forest Trust lands include a mix of forest age classes, fewer constraints, and increased acreage. In
addition, we understand that these DNR conservation lands are eligible for annual PILT payments.
In summary, we fully support DNR's work to complete the Dabob Bay Inter -Trust Exchange and Trust Land
Transfer by the June 30, 2023 deadline and look forward to an update from you as the project proceeds.
Sincerely,
Jefferson County Commissioners
Kate Dean
District 1
Heidi Eisenhour
District 2
Cc: Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands
AGreggtherton, Chair
District 3