KGMI News
BOW, Wash. – The legislature’s failure to pass a Capital Budget has put Blanchard Mountain in peril of being logged.
The mountain above Chuckanut Drive is a favorite for hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers, and includes the popular Oyster Dome.
The state Department of Natural Resources reached an agreement with conservation groups to protect a 1,600 acre core from logging, but without the Capital Budget it doesn’t have the money.
Mitch Friedman with Conservation Northwest said state Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has recognized the gridlock and stepped in to temporarily protect the area from logging until the legislature returned. But “if the legislature doesn’t take care of what’s needed in the next few months, then I think we’ll certainly see logging at Blanchard next summer,” Friedman said.
Friedman said he’s optimistic that the Capital Budget will finally pass now that Democrats have a majority in both the Senate and House.