SPOKANE, Wash. — More than 50 regional organizations along with local businesses and elected officials are asking Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to cancel plans to sell nearly 200 acres of land in Latah Valley.
The Thorpe Land Exchange sale to Blue Fern Development, LLC was approved on January 7, 2025. Blue Fern plans to build 1,000 new homes in the area.
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In exchange, the company would sell a 4-acre property in Bellingham to the state.
The letter to Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove states “Based on new information, which was readily available to the Board of Natural Resources, we believe that the approved land exchange to (Blue Fern Development, LLC) is not in the best interest of the trust beneficiaries.”
Blue Fern will purchase Thorpe for $8.4 million, while DNR will buy the 4-acre Bellingham property from Blue Fern for $7.1 million. The organizations say the Bellingham property was overvalued.
During public consideration of the agreement with Blue Fern Development, the community spoke up against the sale, saying the area doesn’t have the infrastructure to support more development.
“Impacted communities have clearly voiced opposition to the exchange and remain committed to keeping the area as conservation land,” said Paul Dillon, Spokane City Council Member for District 2 which includes the Thorpe property.
Critics of the private sale instead supported a Trust Land Transfer (TLT) proposal from the Spokane Parks Department. Under this proposal, the property would be turned into a nature center, trailhead and a small park.
“Making sound land and forest conservation decisions is essential to ensuring the long-term health of our community. The Thorpe Property presents a rare opportunity to prioritize public access, habitat preservation, and sustainable land management over rushed development,” said Amanda Parrish, executive director of The Lands Council, a Spokane conservation organization.
The Parks Department applied to the TLT program in 2023 and was deemed a good candidate due to the property’s underperformance in the timber industry as well as other factors.
The organizations listed in the letter ask the DNR to terminate the agreement with Blue Fern before the April 6 deadline.
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