Radio Report: Waters warns state trust lands timber lockdown will hurt Washington schools

August 28, 2025

Schools across Washington state rely on revenue from timber sales on state trust lands. A Southwest Washington lawmaker says a decision this week to conserve thousands of acres from harvest could have serious consequences on kids going back to school. John Sattgast reports.

SATTGAST: State Representative Kevin Waters says Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove’s decision to lock down 77-thousand acres from harvest is another devastating blow to struggling school districts across the state.

WATERS: “We have almost every single school in the state that is in a budget shortfall. And we are now going to cap people at the knees taking out another 300-million-dollars out of rural communities because of this decision. It’s not the right call.”

Waters, a Republican from Stevenson, says schools in rural communities like his are aging and struggle to fund even basic maintenance.

WATERS: “The school my five- and seven-year-old are attending, starting this week, I’m seeing schools that their great-grandmother went into had no air conditioning, still have no air conditioning, and this is across the state.”

SATTGAST: Waters said the decision also cripples families relying on timber jobs. He’s calling on Upthegrove to reconsider and keep those timber trust lands activated.

John Sattgast, the state Capitol.