Public Lands Trusts

[Fl0und3rz]

Anyone want to school me on public lands trusts, state and federal resources available to help finance the same, and or organizations that promote or assist with the same?

Think community acquisitions of lands for preservation and community use.


Thank you, in advance.

[Antlershed]

I’d start here:

https://www.tpl.org/

[Fl0und3rz]

Interesting.  Looks like they have about 35 projects in WA.  Thanks.  I'll check it out.

[fireweed]

There are two bills currently in committee for "community forests" HB 1946 and SB 5873.  These bills establish a community forest account (but don't put any funds in it).  This process ultimately would buy private land or transfer DNR land to be owned by a community entity for public benefit while maintaining a working forest.  There are several examples of this that are already occurring: Teanaway community forest, Mt. Adams, city-owned watersheds can be managed as community forests.
Bill details:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5873&Year=2019&Initiative=false

Trust for Public Land often acquired federal inholdings and then transfers them to public ownership. 

State "trust" lands are managed by the DNR for different purposes including multiple use: schools, counties, colleges, prisons. etc

[Fl0und3rz]

Thank you, sir.

[NOCK NOCK]

Here's one in Central WA.
https://www.cdlandtrust.org/

Personally not a big fan with how some are managed.  CDLT likes to tout how they save all the lands and keep them natural, then in the lands behind Wenatchee, they carve trail after trail after trail through it. These areas used to hold lots of wildlife year round, not so much anymore. April-Nov. get so much human use it can look like trails of ants up there everywhere. They also hold race type events for both trail runners and mtn. bikes, both draw big crowds.
They manage lands for their desires only, not for public desires.

I will say the only good thing about CDLT, is that they do prevent homes from extending further into the hills, so that's nice.

[Fl0und3rz]

It appears that CDLT is a private concern.  Membership, board, etc.  Is that true?  What I had under consideration was a governmental concern, managed by a local governmental body, rather a small subset of the community, such that it would be subject to the votes of the community rather than a small subset of private interests.

I might be disillusioned about the relative benefits.  I don't know at this point, and I don't know what I don't know.

[NOCK NOCK]

I think that is the rub with CDLT. They play the part (public land trust) but are more about doing what they want.