Clallam County Advisory Committee Demands Oversight of State Forest Trust Revenues

Committee says Department of Natural Resources has withheld millions in timber sale proceeds meant for local services

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Clallam County Revenue Advisory Committee (RAC) has released a formal letter to Governor Bob Ferguson and state legislative leaders, calling for renewed oversight of how the Commissioner of Public Lands is managing County Forest Board Transfer Lands. The RAC says the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has withheld millions in timber sale revenues that should have gone to support local schools, fire districts, and other junior taxing districts.

Why it matters

The County Forest Board Transfer Lands have been managed by the state in trust for local services since 1936, but the RAC alleges the DNR has recently reduced trust revenues through actions like withholding timber sales. This raises concerns about the state's fiduciary duty to local communities and the potential impact on critical public services.

The details

The RAC says the DNR has withheld 8 timber sales in Clallam County worth an estimated $8-12 million that were supposed to have been harvested years or even decades ago. The committee argues these trees have already been harvested multiple times and should be managed sustainably to support local communities.

  • Since 1936, Clallam County has deeded just under 95,000 acres of tax-foreclosed timberlands to the state to be managed in trust.
  • The RAC released its formal letter to the governor and legislators on Monday, March 4, 2026.

The players

Clallam County Revenue Advisory Committee (RAC)

A local advisory committee that oversees revenues from the County Forest Board Transfer Lands managed by the state.

Dave Upthegrove

The Commissioner of Public Lands who oversees the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Connie Beauvais

The Chair of the Clallam County Revenue Advisory Committee.

Governor Bob Ferguson

The Governor of Washington state.

Board of Natural Resources (BNR)

The state board that oversees the Department of Natural Resources.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“All of the trees that are on our county trust lands, and on any of the trust lands, all of the trees have been harvested no less than one time. Most of them two and three times. So we are not cutting old-growth. Those trees are set aside, and rightly so, those ones that were growing at the time of statehood. All of those have been set aside. All the others are harvested. And we want to manage them in a sustainable and healthy way. We want healthy forests and healthy communities.”

— Connie Beauvais, Chair, Clallam County Revenue Advisory Committee (myclallamcounty.com)

“No response is a response.”

— Jim Buck, Former State Representative (myclallamcounty.com)

What’s next

The RAC is asking legislative leaders to review trust administration practices, request revenue information from the DNR, increase monitoring of fiduciary performance, and convene a meeting with local taxing district officials.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing tension between state management of public lands and the needs of local communities that rely on those lands for critical public services. The outcome could set an important precedent for how the state fulfills its fiduciary duties to counties and junior taxing districts across Washington.