Forest Lands in Washington Counties

Federal Forest Lands in Washington

• U.S. Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Forest Areas 
• U.S. Forest Service: Northwest Forest Plan
• Forests and Rangelands — A cooperative effort between the United States Department of the Interior, the United States Department of Agriculture, and their land management agencies

Washington DNR Trust Lands

The forested state trust lands are managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for specific beneficiaries. The beneficiaries, and some aspects of how the lands are managed, vary according to the origin of the trusts. Most of the forested state trust lands that DNR manages are Federal Grant Lands or State Forest Lands. The Board of Natural Resources sets policies to guide how the DNR manages the state’s lands and resources (see RCW 43.30.205 for procedures for selecting county representatives for the board).

For additional background on Washington Trust Lands, see the DNR resources below:

• Financial Assistance for Wildfire Resilience and Forest Health — Assists local agencies with implementing forest health/wildfire mitigation treatments and helps landowners write management plans for privately owned forests
• Map of State Granted Trust and State Forest Trust Lands
• Trust Land Transfer Program (2016)

Washington's Federal Grant Forest Trust Lands

Upon statehood, the federal government gave Washington three million acres of trust lands. Provisions governing state trust lands appear in article 16 of the state constitution. The state has maintained the trust's three million acres, of which 1.5 million are forest lands.

Below is a brief description of the various trusts; for more information see the Washington State Department of Natural Resources' page Funding Schools and Services.

• K-12 Common School trust — Supports the construction of public kindergarten through twelfth-grade public schools statewide
• Agricultural School trust — Supports construction at Washington State University
• Charitable, Educational, Penal and Reformatory Institutions trust — Supports establishment and maintenance of institutions managed by the Washington State Department of Corrections and Department of Social and Health Services
• University trust — Supports construction at the University of Washington (includes University -original trust lands, which were originally granted by Congress, and University-transfer trust lands, which were transferred by the Legislature from the Charitable, Educational, Penal and Reformatory Institutions trust to provide additional support for the university)
• Normal School trust — Supports construction at four universities (Western Washington University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and The Evergreen State College)
• Scientific School trust — Supports construction at Washington State University
• Capitol Building trust — Supports the construction of state office buildings at the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

State Forest Transfer Trust Lands

Twenty-one counties acquired lands through tax foreclosures in the 1920s and 1930s. The properties were transferred to the state for management. The lands ultimately were deeded to the state and placed in trust status. In exchange for the deed transfer, the county and junior taxing districts in which the land is located are given a majority of the revenue from timber sales and other revenue-producing activities on these lands.

A Forest Board was created in 1923 to manage these properties and was consolidated into the Natural Resources Board in 1957. The Forest Trust Board counties that contain state forest lands acquired or transferred are represented on the board. In addition to the original state forest transfer lands are the state forest purchase lands. These have been acquired by gift or purchase. In 2006, the state forest transfer trust lands were listed as 546,000 acres, and the state forest purchase lands constituted 80,000 acres.

For information on the acquisition, management, and disposition of state forest lands, see Ch. 79.22 RCW.

Below are some additional resources:

• Washington State Legislature: Forest Board Transfer Lands (1996) — A report from the Washington Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee
• MRSC: County Timber Revenues

Management of Forest Trust Lands

Below are some resources related to forest trust lands management from the Washington Department of Natural Resources:

• Policy for Sustainable Forests on State Trust Lands - Provides link to the complete Policy for Sustainable Forests (2006) and the below sections of the document:
  • Background and Context of Forested State Trust Lands
  • Map of Washington Forest Trust Lands (Appendix D)
• Forest Practices Rules Guided by Science and Consensus Protect Our State's Forest Legacy
• State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan (2007)

Examples of Local Government Forest Management

• Benton County PUD Tree Program — Describes the tree trimming and replacement policies for utilities
• Chelan County PUD Tree Trimming — Describes the tree trimming and replacement policies for utilities
• Clark County Forest Stewardship Plan (2017)
• Grays Harbor County Department of Forestry/ Tax Title Management
• King County Forestry Program 

Recommended Resources

• Washington Department of Natural Resources: Future of Washington Forests (2007) — Report prepared in response to a directive from the Washington State Legislature
• Washington State Association of Counties: Timber Counties Caucus — Provides information to county decision makers and serves as liaison between timber counties, U.S. Forest Service, and the Washington Department of Natural Resources
• U.S. Forest Service: Sustainable Operations
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative — Nonprofit promoting sustainable forest management across North America and responsible fiber procurement globally