King County’s environmental legacy received a significant boost with today’s announcement that the county will purchase the development rights of the Snoqualmie Forest, guaranteeing that 90,000 acres, an area nearly twice the size of Seattle, will stay undeveloped and permanently conserved.

“This is the culmination of over a decade of work,” said Council Chair Larry Phillips. “I hiked the Cascade Foothills as a Boy Scout, and I want my son’s children to enjoy it the way it is now, as forestland, not suburbia. Buying the development rights ensures the land will never convert to strip malls, cul-de-sacs and highways.”

Since 1996, Phillips has worked to preserve the forest lands east of Carnation between Interstate 90 and Highway 2 that make up the forest, formerly called the Snoqualmie Tree Farm. Before Hancock Timber Resources Group purchased the forest from Weyerhaeuser last year, Phillips suggested that King County use the Conservation Futures Fund to buy the forest’s development rights. This would guarantee that if Weyerhaeuser, Hancock or future owners should ever decide to stop timbering the land, developers could not pick off parcels one by one, or turn the forest into a suburb sitting nearly atop the Cascade Crest.

Now King County has agreed to purchase the development rights from Hancock using the Conservation Futures Fund. The Fund is supported by a countywide property tax, which by state law can only be used to purchase open space or resource lands. In October the full Council will consider appropriating the funds, estimated at $22 million.

“This is 145 square miles of forest land that will continue to be a working forest, and never become a strip mall,” said Phillips. “This is a grand example of county funds being used with an eye toward the future and a partnership between government, business and environmental organizations resulting in a positive benefit for everyone.”

The purchase of the forest’s development rights is the second major environmental achievement to be completed this week. Phillips was also on hand to help celebrate the implementation of the Snoqualmie Preservation Initiative (SPI), which will permanently protect from development 150 acres of forestland directly adjacent to Snoqualmie Falls. The initiative also conserves 9,000 acres of Raging River forestland, enhances trails and establishes a planning framework for future growth in the Snoqualmie area.

“SPI is another strong example of government working with private organizations and business to ensure that some of the most breathtaking scenery in the region will remain in its pristine form now and 100 years from now,” said Phillips. “Working with the Cascade Land Conservancy and responsible developers, King County is striking a healthy balance between preservation and growth.”