For Immediate Release
Phillips sponsors legislation to secure headwaters of Raging River
SEATTLE — Larry Phillips co-sponsored legislation yesterday as part of a broader effort to purchase and preserve 7,000 acres of working forest at the headwaters of the Raging River. This land is the largest unprotected block of King County’s portion of the Mountain to Sound Greenway and contains vital salmon, steelhead and other wildlife habitats.
Phillips joined Lands Commissioner Goldmark, Executive Sims, Jim Ellis and other environmental leaders as details of the proposal were discussed in a press conference held near the site. In 2008, Department of Natural Resources announced that it was working toward purchasing the land and invited King County to join its efforts. Though DNR and the current property owner are still in negotiation, Phillips and fellow Councilmember Reagan Dunn co-sponsored legislation to put forth $2.7 million from King County to support DNR’s efforts to purchase the land.
The headwaters of the Raging River include nearly 20 percent of the Snoqualmie River Basin’s wild Chinook salmon population and will connect Tiger Mountain State Forest, Taylor Mountain County Forest and the Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic area.
Phillips has a long history of leading and supporting practical efforts to preserve open space in King County. In 2004, he led the way to purchase about 100,000 acres of forest land on the Snoqualmie Tree Farm. As a state legislator, Phillips was also an architect of the state’s Growth Management Act, a critical regulation to prevent urban sprawl and preserve greenspace.
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