Stimson Lumber Files Measure 37 Claims to Develop 36,000 Acres in Washington County alone
Stimson Lumber filed a total of 131 claims at both the state and county levels for development on 108,000 acres. If the state doesn't allow for the massive development, Stimson is demanding $269 million in compensation!
Of the multiple
claims, Stimson Lumber has recently pursued the claim on Iowa Hill, a
sprawling section of forest land along Dixon Mill and Iowa Hill roads.
The company held a neighborhood meeting on August 16 to address
development concerns. A representative of the company opened by
stating,
"I'm
not going to talk about Measure 37 and I'm not going to talk about
Measure 49...If you ask those questions I'm going to go on to the
next person. I don't know anything about those measures. This is not
a political
meeting" Asserted Hal Keever of W&H Pacific. "
Stimson Lumber plans on converting 1,100 acres of timber
land on Iowa Hill into 40 luxury homes. "Our goal is to have a plan that could be
approved by early next year...if it all went the right way we could have bulldozers
out there in spring"
said Andrew Miller, CEO of Stimson Lumber. In the case of Iowa Hill,
Stimson is seeking to create a rural subdivision of more than three
dozen 26-acre lots (photo).
Miller argues that Iowa Hill, without Measure 37 claims, has
zoning laws that would allow the same level of development, only that the
process would take much longer. However, the company clearly relies on the
Measure 37 claims for their new development plans, why else would they have
given $30,000 to support the passage Measure 37? Andrew Miller, CEO of Stimson, recently announced the
company will participate in an effort to defeat Measure 49 this November, saying
the measure places restrictions on what timber companies can do on their own
land.
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