A public hearing on the future transfer of up to 826 acres of forestland into the Department of Natural Resources-managed Dabob Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area will be held Tuesday, Feb. 28 in Quilcene.

The hearing will be preceded by a presentation that will explain the exchange of approximately 820 acres of State Forest Land Trust forestland near Quilcene for equal-valued parcels of Common School Trust forestland in the same area. The meeting is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the Quilcene School District’s Multi-Purpose Room.

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources said all land transferred in the exchange would remain in state ownership if the land swap is approved.

Trust Land Transfer program funding from the state Legislature would compensate the Common School Trust for the value of the property to be transferred into the Dabob Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area.

The parcels would be managed for recreation, wildlife habitat, or open space uses consistent with the management plan for the natural area. 

Officials noted a portion of the Dabob Bay property is currently managed as state forest land, which helps support Jefferson County and its local taxing districts. 

Under state law, only Common School Trust properties may be transferred through the Trust Land Transfer program, but state law permits the Department of Natural Resources to propose inter-trust exchanges to meet the needs of the trust beneficiaries.

The state will accept written comments about the proposed land exchange until 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 15. 

Comments can be emailed to exchanges@dnr.wa.gov. Comments can be sent by mail  to the Department of Natural Resources, Conservation, Recreation and Transactions Division, Attn: Dabob Bay Inter-Trust Land Exchange, PO Box 47014, Olympia, WA 98504-7014. 

For more information and to view maps, go to dnr.wa.gov, Managed Lands, Land Transactions, Dabob Bay Inter-Trust Land Exchange.