Lands commissioner visits Skagit DNR staff

The new state commissioner of public lands won’t change much when it comes to regulating the timber industry, and that suits local foresters just fine.

Democrat Peter Goldmark ousted Doug Sutherland, the Republican incumbent, in November’s election with the support of environmental groups and a decisive victory in King County.

Skagit County voters favored Sutherland by 8 percentage points. In fact, Sutherland won the state handily outside of King County. Still, Skagit County foresters are willing to keep an open mind about the new boss of the Department of Natural Resources.

“Out of the box he has the appearance of not wanting to go in some dramatic new direction,” said Dave Chamberlain, chairman of the Skagit County Forest Advisory Board, a group of foresters that gives policy advice to the county commissioners.

“The mills are interested in acquiring timber through timber sales. That program at least initially looks intact,” Chamberlain said.

Goldmark confirmed in an interview in Sedro-Woolley Thursday that he planned to keep the status quo on the sale of timber harvested on state lands.

“We’re going to maintain our sustainable harvest number,” he said.

Various taxing districts in Skagit County, including the county government, the schools and the libraries, get about $10 million a year from the proceeds of timber sales, said Bill Wallace, the DNR’s Northwest Region manager. The department takes a little more than 20 percent of that figure.

Goldmark, who took office on Jan. 14, visited the Northwest Region office first because of the extensive landslide damage in this part of the state from the early-January floods. At least one of the slides, on Sumas Mountain in north Whatcom County, started on state land.

Geologists have begun studying the recent slides to find a cause but have not yet reached any conclusions, Goldmark said.

Recent clear-cutting does not appear to be a culprit on Sumas, Wallace said. That slide occurred on timberland that was most recently harvested 60 years ago, he said.

Foresters don’t believe Goldmark will react to the latest round of landslides or the major slides in Lewis County in December 2007 with stiffer regulations. Some of the Lewis County slides were on steep slopes that had recently been clear-cut.

“So far Goldmark has indicated he hasn’t seen a need for new rules, just enforcement of the ones that are there. I’m encouraged by that,” said Paul Kriegel, another member of the Forest Advisory Board.

Goldmark said he would likely fight a cut to his budget proposed by the governor that would eliminate geologic hazard studies on slope stability.

“Our geologic work is an important part of public health and safety,” said Goldmark, who has a scientific background. He earned a doctorate in molecular biology.

Goldmark’s emphasis on science appeals to Kriegel.

“I’m optimistic he’ll bring a little bit of scientific perspective to the job,” Kriegel said.

Perhaps to allay criticism, the Democrat, who came into office with the support of environmentalists, touts his background as a rancher who harvests timber himself on his 8,000 acres in Okanogan County.

“I have not come to this office from government. I have come to this office directly from a ranch,” Goldmark told DNR employees.

Besides getting a workable budget from the state Legislature, one of Goldmark’s top priorities is to help the small-forest landowners who are struggling in the current economy, he said.

“We all want to do whatever we can to keep them in business, to keep our working lands working,” Goldmark said.

n Ralph Schwartz can be reached at 360-416-2138 or rschwartz@skagitpublish ing.com.