Yesterday, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) celebrated the signing of the deed to finalize the U.S. Forest Service’s transfer of the remaining 23.4-acres of the Wind River Administrative Site to Skamania County.
In December 2022, as an incoming Congresswoman, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez helped secure passage of the land conveyance to support rural economic development. Only 1.8 percent of Skamania County’s land can generate tax revenue, and planned redevelopment projects on the site will bring in an estimated $600,000 annually to fund vital public services.
The site is located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and the U.S. Forest Service supports the conveyance as it no longer has a use for the land. In 2000, Congress passed legislation that allowed the Forest Service to transfer 187 acres of the Wind River Nursery, and today’s conveyance allows Skamania County to maintain ownership of nearly the entire site.
Skamania County has already invested in rehabilitation efforts and maintenance of the facilities covered under the conveyance and has committed to additional restoration efforts to prepare the site for economic development activities.
“Living in unincorporated Skamania County, I’ve seen firsthand how our community has had to endure painful cuts to vital services due to a lack of developable land and our funding being tied to natural resources like timber. It’s why I’ve made it a priority to bring federal resources home and fight for transfers of unused federal land that can make an incredible difference in empowering our rural community,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “Congress has ignored these needs for far too long, and the Wind River Nursery conveyance is a major step toward ensuring rural residents receive the investments they need and deserve. Thank you to former Representative Herrera Beutler for her leadership on this land transfer – and I’ll continue fighting to secure robust funding for rural schools, infrastructure, public safety, veterans’ transportation, and other critical community services.”
Video of Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s remarks on the House Floor in support of the conveyance can be found here.
Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is working to expand opportunities for economic development in Skamania County – including by bringing home $959,752 for wastewater infrastructure at the Cascades Business Park and by introducing her House-passed PORT Act to convey 1.6 acres of unused federal land to the Port of Skamania after the request was ignored by Congress for more than 40 years.
The Congresswoman is also fighting to prevent the Secure Rural Schools program from expiring, as it serves as a lifeline for rural schools and infrastructure across the county and accounts for 5.1 percent of Skamania County’s budget.