Save Our Public Lands - Take Action Now

Millions of acres of National Forest (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands are threatened with immediate sale in the current federal budget proposal. In Skagit County that includes large swaths of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest- from Sauk Mountain and Iron Mountain into the heart of the Cascade Mountains.

Call or email Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representative Rick Larson NOW and tell them to say ABSOUTELY NO to the sales and accelerated logging of public land as proposed in the reconciliation bill currently being discussed in the US Senate.

senator_murray@murray.senate.gov or this online form; WA DC (202) 224-2621; Everett 425-259-6515

maria@cantwell.senate.gov or this online form; WA DC (202) 224-3441; Everett 425-303-8351

Rick.Larsen@mail.house.gov or this online form; Bellingham 360-733-4500; Everett 425-252-3188

What’s it all about?

On May 22nd, the US House of Representatives passed its version of a reconciliation bill that mandates the accelerated sale of millions of acres of public lands. Included for consideration are 5.4 million acres in Washington State alone. That’s 12.6% of our public lands, including national forests and BLM lands, now eligible for sale to “any interested buyer”.

The Senate is now working on its version. Senate Republicans have set a July 4th deadline for passage of the bill.

The reconciliation bill, as now written:

• Mandates the sale of 2-3 million acres of BLM and Forest Service land across 11 western states over 5 years, with an additional 250 million acres eligible for sale.
  
  
• Requires nominations of public lands to be sold within 30 days, then additional nominations and sales every 60 days until the multi-million acre goal is met.
  
  
• Provides no public hearings or input.
  
  
• Appoints the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to decide which land should be sold.
  
  
• Does not give Tribes priority to acquire lands within their traditional territory or that contain sacred sites; state and local governments have only a right of first refusal, likely unaffordable at mandated full market rates and a rapid sale process.
  
  
• Says the land must be used for "affordable housing or infrastructure to support local housing”. However there are no criteria or provisions for enforcement of those limitations and once the land is sold the US government loses control over any future uses of the land.
  
  
• Forces expanded timber sales on BLM and USFS lands, threatening wildlife, watersheds, and beloved outdoor recreation areas such as:

According to the Wilderness Society, “research suggests that very little of the land managed by the BLM and USFS is actually suitable for housing.” The claim that these public lands will be used for "affordable housing" is not viable. The vast majority cannot realistically support housing, and the bill includes no binding requirement or enforcement to ensure that housing is ever built. Yet our public lands would still be sold to the highest bidder despite these facts.

There would be no opportunity for hearings, debate or public input.

To learn more, click on this link for a detailed analysis by the Wilderness Society with an interactive map that shows you what is threatened:

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/media-resources/250-million-acres-public-lands-eligible-sale-senr-bill

Below are some thoughts for you to consider sharing with all you know, including Senators and Representatives

1. Public Lands Are Our Inheritance

Selling off public lands is selling out future generations. These lands belong to all Americans — they should not be auctioned off for short-term gain to wealthy speculators. Selling off large tracts of public lands in a hurried and unplanned process will not balance the budget. It’s false short-term math that ignores the true value of America’s public resources. It betrays our shared legacy and our duty to current and future generations. Our public lands are rare in the world- they are special and together we all own them.

2. Selling Public Lands Will Not Solve the Housing Crisis

A key reason given for the proposed sale of public lands is for housing development, especially affordable housing. While this is a real issue that needs attention, selling our public lands and forests is not the solution. These lands are not located where development belongs, nor where the average citizen could afford to live. They are far from commerce centers, and local taxes would have to pay for infrastructure costs, transportation and public services. Unplanned growth often pushes communities beyond their financial capacity to deliver services.

Most of these lands are remote, lack any infrastructure (roads, utilities, water), are on steep or forested terrain, are in natural hazard areas, are environmentally sensitive or are appropriately used for conservation and recreation, not urban growth.

History shows that lands sold for housing in remote areas usually become high-end homes and estates. The idea that this would solve the housing crisis is misleading. This appears to be land privatization – not a housing solution.

3. Public Lands Help Us Prepare for and Mitigate Climate Change

The Skagit and all of the West face growing risks from wildfires, flooding, and drought. Public forests and their wetlands and waterways are essential natural defenses. Selling them off increases our vulnerability. Promoting sprawl into our forests and natural areas is putting current and future communities at risk and creating huge expenses for both federal, state and local governments. Suppression of fires to protect structures already costs our governments billions of dollars annually and is growing.

4. Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Is a Cornerstone of Washington’s Economy

In Washington, outdoor recreation supports over 200,000 jobs and generates more than $26 billion each year. Nationwide, every dollar invested in conservation land returns an average of eight dollars to the local economy. Public lands, not fragmented private inholdings, are the foundation of this economic engine. It is intact public lands that will continue to generate revenue for the country in the future.

While national parks, monuments and designated wilderness areas are excluded, many lands contiguous to these areas that provide connected recreation and habitat- such as those in Skagit County-could be sold.

5. Selling Lands Threatens Salmon, Orcas, and Clean Water

Skagit’s public lands protect the headwaters of rivers that support salmon, orcas, and clean drinking water. Privatizing these areas would undermine the millions of public and private dollars invested in efforts to restore endangered species. Intact forests are essential to purifying and regulating Skagit’s water supply, ensuring that we have sufficient clean water year-round. With climate change, protecting these forests is essential to slowing snow melt in the mountains, and mitigating impacts to people and wildlife from increased annual temperatures, wildfire and flooding.

6. Washington Tribes Would Be Impacted

Many public lands in Washington overlap with treaty rights and culturally important areas for Tribal Nations. Has the administration consulted with sovereign Tribes to assess whether this imposes on their legal and cultural rights?

7. Rural Communities Depend on Public Access

From fishing and hiking in the Skagit, to hunting near Ellensburg, to hiking in the Olympics, our rural communities, nearby cities, and our tourist industry are built on public land access. Privatizing the public lands we all own would shut out us and local communities.

8. It Benefits Special Interests – Not the Public

In the end, the reconciliation bill’s proposal isn’t about budget savings — it’s about handing Washington’s public lands to special interests and highest bidders - - for what? To try to make a one-time budget pencil out? The heritage we hold in public lands should never be used for such a short-sighted purpose. There is already a process for federal land sales, that is stringent, transparent and allows wide input.

9. Washingtonians Strongly Oppose This

Across political lines, Washington residents support keeping public lands in public hands. Polls show that even in conservative areas, people want more access and protection of public lands — not less. And yet, this bill does not provide for any public process during the sales process; instead, it mandates liquidation of our natural heritage without any of us having a say in it – these are lands that have been open to all for generations, since the founding of the nation.

The 2025 Conservation in the West’s poll found that 72 percent of voters in eight Western states support public lands conservation over increased energy development — the highest level of support in the poll’s history; 65 percent oppose giving states control over federal public lands, up from 56 percent in 2017; and 89 percent oppose shrinking or removing protections for national monuments, up from 80 percent in 2017.

10. The math is all wrong

Interior Secretary Burgum has repeatedly described federal lands as “America’s balance sheet” — “assets” that he estimates could be worth $100 trillion but that he argues Americans are getting a “low return” on. “On the world’s largest balance sheet last year, the revenue that we pulled in was about $18 billion,” he said at the staff-wide meeting, referring to money the government brings in from lease fees and royalties from grazing, drilling, and logging on federal lands, as well as national park entrance fees. “Eighteen billion might seem like a big number. It’s not a big number if we’re managing $100 trillion in assets.”

In focusing solely on revenues generated from energy and other resource extraction, Burgum disregards that public lands are the foundation of $1 trillion annually generated in the outdoor recreation economy, never mind the numerous climate, environmental, cultural, and public health benefits that save local communities and the entire US trillions every year. Once our public lands are sold, we will never get them back. They will be in a private owner’s hands with a strong likelihood of not benefiting the public overall.

Thank you for sharing this information widely with your network and taking action to save our public lands before it is too late!

Skagit County's 2025 Comprehensive Plan Environment and Climate Elements

Click the link below to read Skagit Land Trust's comments on Skagit County's 2025 Comprehensive Plan Environment and Climate Elements.

Click here to read Skagit Land Trust's comments

Community Survey for Skagit County Comprehensive Plan 2025

Have you ever wondered how our cities and counties decide what can be built where, which types of projects should be prioritized, which lands should be conserved, and how we make our communities livable? These decisions are often made based on cities' and counties' comprehensive plans. A comprehensive plan sets priorities and seeks solutions for long-term issues including land use, natural ecosystems, housing, transportation, the economy, etc. Decisions we make today have lasting impact on the future.

Skagit County is currently in the process of updating its comprehensive plan. This year, for the very first time, Skagit County must include a climate change and resiliency element, showing that the County is prepared to adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate on our county. The following climate and resiliency sub elements are now required:

1. The resiliency sub-element must include goals and policies to improve climate preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

2. The greenhouse gas emissions sub-element must include ways to reduce emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

3. The climate elements must prioritize reductions that help overburdened communities, maximizing economic, environmental, and social co-benefits, while reducing air pollution.

Skagit Land Trust recently shared our feedback with Skagit County staff on the new climate elements in the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The County has also invited you to share your thoughts by filling out their Community Survey between October 11th and 31st. The survey is available in English and Spanish:

Link to English Survey

Link to Spanish Survey

The survey results will be considered for the County’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update. If you have any questions about the survey, contact Tara Satushek at taras@co.skagit.wa.us

Skagit Land Trust understands the essential role that conservation plays in resilience planning and to climate change mitigation. If you are interested to read what we have submitted to the County regarding the Comprehensive Plan, you can find our comments in the pdfs linked below.

Skagit Land Trust's Comments on the County's Comprehensive Plan Climate Element.pdf

/files/Skagit%20County%20Climate%20Element%20Skagit%20Land%20Trust%20Interview%2010.3.24-%20SLT%20edits%20w.docx

Skagit Land Trust's Conservation Strategy-Clime Change Overview Climate

/files/Climate%20Change%20and%20the%20SLT%20Conservation%20Strategy.pdf

Skagit Land Trust's Comments on Skagit County Comprehensive Plan Housing, Land Use, and Economic Development Elements.pdf

Battery Energy Storage System Proposals

Skagit Land Trust does not think the proposed site in Sedro-Woolley is an appropriate place to put a battery storage facility. It is located in the flood zone and next to an active salmon stream. It is very near homes, on land zoned for agriculture, and close to the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe reservation. Risks that have been noted include fire, release of hazardous substances, noise, and pollution of adjacent water bodies. Skagit Land Trust strongly supports the Skagit County Commissioner’s decision to oppose the proposal to install the Goldeneye Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at this site.

Skagit Land Trust recognizes that energy storage using batteries is an aspect of transitioning to green infrastructure since green energy is often tied to wind or solar. Battery storage is needed so electricity can be reliably released when wind or solar sources aren’t producing energy. We also recognize that people have valid concerns about the community and environmental safety of battery storage facilities. We are still learning about what are options for battery storage, what are considered the lowest risk yet still practical locations for battery storage, and the magnitude and likelihood of associated risks.

It seems clear that more battery storage facilities will be proposed in coming months and years as the state transitions to a greener power supply. Thus, we urge city and county governments to develop guidance for “appropriate” battery storage sites and risk management actions, now.

Skagit County is currently working on the 2025 Periodic Comprehensive Plan update. The update is scheduled for completion by June 30, 2025, and will guide development decisions made by the County for the next 20 years. Skagit Land Trust urges the County to address BESS facilities in the 2025 Periodic Comprehensive Plan update. The County must study and consider the level of risk and degree of regulation needed to protect the community’s health, safety, and general welfare, as well as Skagit County’s extraordinarily varied, sensitive, unique land and water ecosystems, and consider adding land use development policies and standards related to BESS facilities to the 2025 Comprehensive Plan.

This fall and winter, Skagit County will be taking public comment on updates to the Comprehensive Plan. Community members interested in sharing their thoughts can find information on submitting comments on the county website. All comments will be processed and shown to the Council that makes the decision for this project. It is recommended that people address why the project is inconsistent with local land use and request a hearing on land-use consistency. Comments on why this project does not fit at this location can be submitted to: comments@efsec.wa.gov

Skagit Land Trust has submitted our comments on this proposal to the Department of Ecology and the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. You can view our comments in the pdf linked below:

Skagit Land Trust comments re: BESS Goldeneye proposal.pdf

Skagit Land Trust signs letter supporting the Outstanding Resource Waters designation of the Cascade River

Click here to see the letter signed by Trust Excecutive Director, Molly Doran

Click here to add your public comments by September 27th.

Skagit Shoreline Management Program

Skagit Land Trust's comment letter is attached here

May 2023 Comment Letter

Nooksack elk herd

In April 2023 the WA State Fish and Wildlife Commission held a meeting regarding the North Cascade elk (commonly referred to as the Nooksack elk herd). Speakers from the Public gave testimony. The comments and presentation give a wide perspective of elk in the Skagit.

From the beginning to 1:42:00 are landowners, conservation groups, and community members giving public comments on elk.

From 3:37:00 to 4: 41:00 is a presentation by the tribal and WDFW Co-Managers. They are presenting to the WDFW Commissioners.

Skagit Land Trust believes that elk and other native wildlife have the right to live within their full range, including on the floor of the Skagit Valley. Their range is shown in the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW’s) North Cascade Elk Herd Management Plan. We appreciate the tribal and state wildlife co-managers and biologists who have worked hard to find thoughtful pathways to sustain a thriving elk population in the Skagit Valley, while continuing to work on collaborative solutions so that wildlife and people can co-exist. As conservation landowners, our lands are part of the herd's territory.