The attorney representing the Issaquah Alps Trail Club and the organization Save Squak (mountain) has made it clear to the Department of Natural Resources, that the new forest practices application filed by Erickson Logging does not meet several requirements.

In a letter to Bruce McDonald, forest practice district manager, south Puget Sound region, attorney Wyatt Golding said that the proposed timber harvest needs further evaluation.

For example, Golding said there is a subdivision application pending for the entire parcel, not just the 95 acres that Erickson scaled down his application to from the entire 216 acres. The subdivision application goes with whoever owns the property.

Therefore, the trails club and Save Squak has asked that DNR transfer authority for consideration of the application to King County, or at least involve the county in the decision making process and conduct a SEPA (environmental) review.

Even though there is a six-year moratorium between logging and a potential development, Wyatt states “the land is almost certainly going to be converted to another use, namely ‘Serenity Estates’ subdivision. Because the development plans are active and on-going, logging the property constitutes an active use which is not compatible with timber growing. Moreover, the land will likely not be reforested.”

The letter also reiterates the concern over flooding of May Creek and protection of wildlife, specifically fish and the endangered species, the small bird called the marbled murrelet.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife has determined that there are sufficiently large trees with platforms that would support murrelets. The trails club and Save Squak have requested DNR require a 300-foot no-harvest buffer surrounding unsurveyed stands determined to be suitable marbled murrelet habitat.

Dave Kappler, the president of the trails club said the county looks at critical areas as a permanent situation, whereas forest practices looks at critical areas as limited.

“The county will look at this through different eyes,” he said.

On Saturday, April 27, the King County Conservations Futures Citizens Committee will tour the property. The committee reviews applications for requests for money from the Conservation Futures fund and parks levy fund.

The committee makes its recommendation in June, with the King County Council deciding in November which properties to “save.” Erickson has agreed to sell the property to the county if it can come up with the money.