Washington wins grant to acquire 9,700 acres of forestland in Central Cascades

Washington has secured a $15.3 million federal grant for the purchase of nearly 10,000 acres of forestland around the headwaters of the Yakima River, near Cle Elum.

The Department of Natural Resources, which would manage the land once the sale is complete, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture award on Monday and noted $5.7 million in state matching funds to carry out the acquisition. The Department of Natural Resources has indicated that the land will be used for a mix of recreation, conservation, and logging.

Specifics around how that land use will look aren’t certain at this point and there are still more steps before the purchase can go through.

A key priority is to reduce forest fire risks. Decades of wildfire suppression have left land like this thick with trees and other vegetation that becomes dry and flammable in summer.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/05/13/wa-wins-grant-to-acquire-9700-acres-of-forestland-in-central-cascades/