Locking Timberland Hurts Rural Washington Schools

Schools across Washington depend on revenue from timber sales on state trust lands.  A Southwest Washington lawmaker said a recent decision to conserve thousands of acres from harvest could have serious consequences on kids going back to school.

State Representative Kevin Waters says Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove's decision to lock down 77,000 acres from harvest is another devastating blow to struggling school districts across the state.

"We have almost every single school in the state that is in a budget shortfall," Waters said.  "And we are now going to cap people at the knees taking out another $300 million out of rural communities because of this decision. It's not the right call."

This Is Hurting Districts Across Washington

Waters, a Republican from Stevenson, said schools in rural communities like his are aging and struggle to fund even basic maintenance.

"The school my five- and seven-year-old are attending, starting this week, I'm seeing schools that their great-grandmother went into had no air conditioning, still have no air conditioning, and this is across the state."

Waters added the decision also cripples families relying on timber jobs.  He's calling on Upthegrove to reconsider and keep those timber trust lands activated.

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