BELLINGHAM, WA – (KGMI.com) Over 20,000 acres of forestlands in southwest Washington will be preserved thanks to a $121 million joint purchase.
The Dept. of Natural Resources partnered with The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit specializing in land and water protection, to make the bid.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said in a statement this is the largest land purchase for the State of Washington in more than a decade.
The State Board of Natural Resources approved the deal last month, with the transaction finalized Tuesday.
The DNR acquires over 9,000 acres in the bid at $55 million, and The Conservation Fund buys the remaining over 11,000 acres for $66 million.
The DNR has a few years to raise money in order to buy The Conservation Fund’s acreage, taking control of the total 20,505 acres.
The land bought is called Deep River Woods and located west of Longview.
The acquisition has contributed to The Conservation Fund’s over 1 million acres of preserved forests they manage across the country.
According to Franz, purchases like this one support rural communities and “keep working forests working.”
