HANSVILLE — It was standing room only at the Hansville Community Center Jan. 15 as approximately 100 people showed up to hear how the State Department of Natural Resources was planning to sell a 390-acre parcel of forested land in North Kitsap.
The property in question is bordered by Little Boston Road, Hansville Road and 288th Street and is adjacent to the Port Gamble Indian Reservation. The current zoning on the land is interim rural forest, which allows one dwelling unit per 20 acres.
DNR has been looking for a new owner for this property for more than 10 years. Since 1993, DNR officials have been considering transferring it to the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe.
However, before the transaction took place, a public hearing was held in 2001 and DNR officials found there was strong opposition to the transfer. Until recently, state officials stayed pretty quiet on the matter. They are now recommending two ways to sell the land.
Because the property is Common School Trust Land, DNR is required by law to notify the North Kitsap School District about the property’s availability.
Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, who oversees DNR, said North Kitsap School District officials have shown an interest in purchasing 40 to 60 acres of the property for a school. The DNR would like to conduct a direct transfer for the property’s market value with the school district.
Should the district go through with the purchase, DNR is recommending that the remaining 330 acres of land be divided up into parcels of 160 acres or less and sold at a public auction, which could take place this June.
Sutherland said he also contacted other public agencies in the area and found the Port of Kingston, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (which is recognized as a government entity) and Kitsap County were interested in the property as well. Any other group, company or individual may bid at the auction, too, he said.
“This sale is a little unique because of how many groups are interested,” Sutherland said, noting that sale revenues will go toward building schools in the state.
“We are required to generate as much money as we can for school trust,” he said.
During the informal public comment period, residents were concerned about the tribe obtaining ownership, how the property would go on the county tax rolls and how it could be used to accommodate the county’s population growth.
Leonard Forsman of the Suquamish Tribe clarified that DNR doesn’t currently pay taxes on the property and neither would the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe if it purchased the land. But the point should be to give the land back to the tribe, he said.
“I think the right thing for the State of Washington to do is honor the government-to-government relationship (with the tribe), ignore a lot of the politics around here,” he said. “There are a lot of people who have special interests.”
Hansville resident and Relator Michael Svardh said he felt the land should become taxable property. After the school purchases its portion, he noted that the land should be sold to public agencies. Whatever is left over can then go to any other sovereign government “like Oregon, Canada or the tribes,” Svardh said. “If they abide with zoning and taxes, then I don’t have a problem with it.”
Others said they felt the county should purchase the land to help with the increasing population of the area.
“The DNR should approach the county about zoning the land for growth,” said Port Gamble Road resident Scott Henden. “If there is going to be growth, why not zone it so people can live there?”
Suquamish resident Mary Ann Dow said she was concerned with the lack of environmental voices at the meeting.
“What I’m hearing tonight is chop up the land, maximize the development, let’s get the taxes up,” Dow said. “From the group, I’m not hearing anything about land stewardship. I’m not hearing anything about protecting the salmon.”
