Category Overview
Forestland Preservation grants help improve opportunities for forest management activity and improve the long-term growth and harvest of timber. These projects help protect many different kinds of forests, including, but not limited to, large-scale industrial forests, small private landowner forests, community forests, and tribally - or publicly-owned and managed forests.
Project Highlights
Forterra utilized the RCO grant funding and acquired a forestland conservation easement from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington on the Polson Heritage Forest property, also known as Camp Klahanee. The Polson Park Museum Historical Society, a local non-profit, acquired the underlying fee property. The property was enrolled in the State’s designated forestland program, which was approved by Grays Harbor County. Forterra worked with the landowners to develop the conservation easement language for the property. Forterra oversaw an appraisal and review appraisal that determined the fair market value of the conservation easement and the fee property. The conservation easement excludes all structures on the property, and Forterra oversaw the completion of a survey that developed an exclusion area on the property that omitted any structures. The survey developed a legal description of the conservation easement area, as well as an official site map of the conservation easement area that was recorded on the property. Forterra had a survey completed to provide a legal description of the conservation easement area. The ultimate conservation easement area was 63.1 acres, which accounted for the exclusion area as determined by the survey. Forterra facilitated the closing with the parties and Grays Harbor Title Company, including the development of purchase and sale agreements and closing documents. In order to guide the long-term management of the conservation easement, Forterra developed a baseline documentation report and a stewardship plan that identifies its intention to manage the property to protect its long-term forest values. The Polson Museum will coordinate with Forterra on future property management to ensure the long-term protection of the property’s forest resources and conservation values.