Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Getting $5.5 Million in Grant Funding for Land Acquisition

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest will be receiving $5.5 million in grant funding as part of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Public Affairs Officer Victoria Wilkins says they will use it to acquire land along the I-90 corridor.

"Acquiring those checkerboard lands helps preserve access, helps ensure those lands are never developed in a way that prevents the public from accessing adjacent public lands. It will also allow them to manage those lands consistent with the surrounding lands for recreation access, for resource benefits and for fire and fuel management."

The exact parcels have yet to be determined but will be in Kittitas County.

Wilkins says this has been a decades long effort.

"It's part of a much larger effort that's been going on along the I-90 corridor that started with the major land exchange back in the 90s. Since then we have steadily been acquiring some of these checkerboard parcels each and made pretty steady progress towards consolidating ownership of the lands."

This funding will help acquire 3,350 acres of land to maintain public access to popular motorized trail networks in the Wenatchee Cascades while also contributing to watershed protection and restoration efforts in the Yakima River basin