Hearing set Nov. 12 on addition to Stevenson Ridge conservation area

STEVENSON — A public hearing to review a proposed expansion of the Stevenson Ridge Natural Resources Conservation Area will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at Hegewald Rock Creek Center, 710 S.W. Rock Creek Drive.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources wants to add 60 to 90 acres to the current 128-acre site north of Table Mountain in Skamania County.

The property is state forest trust land managed to provide revenue to Skamania County public services. A legislative appropriation for the transfer will allow DNR to buy replacement trust lands that have higher long-term revenue potential.

Trees on the land to be transferred can not be harvested due to wildlife protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. The state legislature has created a program to transfer trust lands into conservation status if the parcel is in a county with a population less than 25,000.

State money will compensate Skamania County and provide funds to later buy replacement assets for the trust.

Written comments are welcome through Nov. 16. Send comments to: Washington Department of Natural Resources, Conservation, Recreation and Transactions Division, ATTN: Stevenson Ridge NRCA Boundary, PO Box 47014, Olympia,  98504-7014.

Comments may be emailed to FRCD@dnr.wa.gov.

A map of the proposed expansion is available at http;//file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/amp_na_stevenson_ridge_nrcamap.pdf.