2013 Stories
The Teanaway Community Forest
Fiscal Data
Timber Data
Washington’s First State-Managed Community Forest The Teanaway acquisition reflects more than a decade of collaboration involving numerous organizations, individuals, and public agencies. Diana Lofflin/DNR. Below: Teanaway River: The wilderness Society
Collaborative Management On October 1, 2013, DNR completed the purchase of 50,272 acres in the Teanaway River Valley, creating Washington's first statemanaged community forest: the Teanaway Community Forest. This was the largest single land transaction by Washington State in 45 years and involved the efforts of numerous organizations and individuals. Situated in Kittitas County at the headwaters of the Yakima Basin watershed, the property is the first to be managed through DNR's Community Forest Program, which was created by the 2011 Legislature. The law gives communities new tools to work with DNR to preserve the forests they love and advise the state on how those forests are managed through participation in an ongoing Community Forest Advisory Committee and a community engagement process.
The forested watershed will be managed through a partnership between DNR and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, with input from the local community and interested stakeholders.
▲ Top: Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Director Phil Anderson sign an agreement to jointly manage the Teanaway Community Forest; in the background are Jim McIntire, Washington State Treasurer; Gene Duvernoy, Chief Executive Officer of Forterra (a partner in the acquisition); and a title company official. Bottom: The Teanaway River in autumn.
Peter Goldmark Commissioner of Public L ands 2013 D N R A nn ual R e port 7
The purchase, which was made possible by a 2013 legislative appropriation, is a key step in implementing the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, developed by a coalition of public and private organizations to safeguard the basin's water supply, restore fisheries, conserve habitat, preserve working lands, and enhance recreational opportunities.
The Community Forest Trust model allows local communities to help protect the forests they love.”