PORT LUDLOW — Pope Resources and the state Department of Natural Resources have come to an agreement on changes in a proposed land swap in East Jefferson County.
In an effort to make the swaps more equal, several DNR tracts of land have been dropped from consideration after a third-party appraisal.
As it stands now, Pope will trade 4,420 acres to DNR for 2,970 acres of state land.
While the difference in total acres favors DNR by 1,450 acres, the approximate value of timber on the land is more equal, Pope executives said.
Port Ludlow residents have objected to the swap. Several parcels in the package are near the community, and some residents have worried that Pope intends to build a quarry on that land.
Pope executives said that’s not the case.
Both parties have said that the impetus for the swap is to trade out lands that are currently intermingled, allowing for more financially responsible management of lands.
The exchange would consolidate DNR land near the Olympic National Forest with Pope Resources land near Dabob Bay and Port Ludlow.
As it stands now, the ownership of the land is a patchwork throughout the south part of East Jefferson County.
At Monday’s meeting of the three Jefferson County commissioners, three Pope representatives spoke about the swap.
David Nunes, president and CEO of Pope Resources, said the company is making an effort to inform the public.
“We are trying to set the record straight,” Nunes said. “[The reason for the swap is] Pope’s lands and DNR’s lands are quite intermingled. We want to consolidate ownership in order to reduce operating costs.
“There is actually more timber on DNR lands than on the Pope lands and DNR will retain some timber harvest rights to balance out the value [of the swap.]”
No mining
Pope executives also addressed the concerns of citizens in Port Ludlow — where the community is near a handful of lands that would go to Pope — that the lands might be used for mining or development.
“As for the areas of most concern for Port Ludlow, there is no underlying basalt in those areas,” said John Shea, director of business development for Pope.
“The potential for any mining progressing in those areas is nonexistent.”
A proposed basalt quarry on Pope-owned land is not a part of this land swap.
“Zoning [in the areas near Port Ludlow] is predominantly for commercial forest land.”
Timber deal only
Nunes said Pope views the swap as “just a timber-for-timber deal.”
In response, the county commissioners said they would set up a time in March to meet with Pope and thoroughly discuss the swap.
Representatives from Pope said they would be happy to come back for the meeting.
County Administrator Philip Morley said the meeting has yet to be scheduled, but would be before DNR’s scheduled public hearing.
The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on March 31 at Chimacum Middle School, 91 West Valley Rd., Chimacum.
November meeting
A public meeting about the swap in November brought a few complaints from residents.
John Viada, manager of DNR’s Olympic region, said at the meeting that the goal of the swap was to consolidate the lands into one, large contiguous block that would be easier to manage.
“This is one place we know we can do some long-term forest management,” Viada said. “This is a beneficial exchange for the trust lands.”
DNR officials were asked by a community member at the meeting if the agency would consider putting restrictions on what Pope could do with the land after it was swapped.
That question was answered with a definitive “no.”
“State trust lands are held for the beneficiary of the public,” Viada said. “By law, we cannot put restrictions on them which would reduce the value of the land.”
Along with improving state management efficiency, the deal would provide long-term trust revenue for county services and for building public schools and universities, said Cathy Baker, DNR spokeswoman.
“It would increase commercial forestry opportunities and increase our ability to maintain a viable habitat in the area,” Baker said.
“It will also help maintain the public forest land base and will serve as an increased benefit to the trust.”
The exchange involves three state trusts: Common School for building public schools statewide, University Original, benefiting University of Washington, and State Forest Transfer lands, revenues of which support county services such as fire districts.
Pope Resources has been a land and timber owner in the Pacific Northwest for more than 150 years.
The company owns 115,000 acres of productive timberland and nearly 3,000 acres of development property, most of which is within a 50-mile radius of Seattle.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
