Thursday, November 16, 2017

Lawmakers to Challenge State Decision for Marbled Murrelet Habitat (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(OLYMPIA, WA) – A recent decision by the Department of Natural Resources Board to lock up more than 620-thousand acres of public lands to protect an endangered coastal seabird could be challenged by state lawmakers.

Representative Jim Walsh of Aberdeen says Option D chosen by the DNR Board to protect the marbled murrelet could cripple local economies along Washington’s coast. Walsh and 11 bipartisan state lawmakers asked the Board to choose Option B, which would have provided 590 thousand acres of conservation habitat on public lands.

Walsh says the option chosen by DNR effectively locks up significantly more acreage from timber harvest.