In response to a request from the Federal Government that San Juan County expedite action which will result in adding the 320 acre Mitchell Hill property to the San Juan Island National Park, the County Council has added a resolution to its September 28, 2010 meeting agenda.
The Resolution will be considered in the 10:45 a.m. County Administrator’s section of the agenda. It authorizes a chain of transactions: First accepting the deed for the property from the State of Washington, re-conveying the deed to the Conservation Fund, which will then re-convey the deed to the U.S. government to be added to the National Park.
The transaction will be funded entirely by the U.S. government. The preservation of the scenic Mitchell Hill property has been a top legislative priority of the County Council since 2006.
The property is currently owned by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and is classified as School Trust Land. The state mandates the use of School Trust Lands to generate revenue for the public schools system either through the harvest of timber, or sale of the property. San Juan County became concerned about the future of the Mitchell Hill property after the DNR indicated an interest in selling or trading the land rather than continuing to harvest timber.
A copy of the full text of the Mitchell Hill resolution is linked to the Council’s agenda page on the County’s website at: https://sanjuanco.com/council/displayAgenda.aspx?agendaid=205
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