Forest Service to transfer nursery site land to Skamania Co.

The United States Forest Service will transfer more than 23 acres of the Wind River Administrative Site in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to Skamania County in an effort to boost economic development in rural Southwest Washington.

The Wind River Administrative Site Conveyance Act, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which funds government programs through September 2023, according to a news release.

“It’s been more than six years coming, but my Wind River Conveyance Act — a bill to transfer ownership of 23 acres of land out of federal control and over to Skamania County — is likely to head to the president’s desk before year’s end,” former Rep. U.S. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler stated in the news release.

In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that allowed the Forest Service to transfer ownership of 187 acres of the site, including nursery fields and buildings, to Skamania County. The conveyance of the remaining 23.4 acres of the Wind River Nursery will allow Skamania County to take ownership of nearly the entire site, according to the news release.

“The U.S. Forest Service supports the land transfer as it no longer has a use for the site, and the legislation protects access to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail,” the news release states.

Skamania County has already invested nearly $200,000 into rehabilitation efforts and maintenance of the facilities covered under the conveyance and is committing to an estimated $800,000 in additional restoration efforts to prepare the site for economic development activities, according to the news release.

Once the land is conveyed, the redevelopment projects planned by the county will bring in an estimated $60,000 annually, “boosting its revenue to fund critical public services,” the news release states.

“So much of Skamania County’s land is locked away under federal control, and it’s contributed to the budgetary shortfalls impacting schools and even basic services in that community,” Herrera Beutler said. “This win-win agreement I first helped broker in 2016, moves the needle the other way; it puts land back with the county to use for economic and recreational opportunities. It’s supported by the county, by the Forest Service, and now with the strong support of U.S. Sen. (Maria) Cantwell, it’s heading across the finish line. This is a nice win for a corner of Washington that needs more wins, and I’m grateful for the efforts of so many — including Commissioners (Bob) Hamlin and (Tom) Lannen — to serve the Skamania County community in this way.”