Thomas DeLuca, Dean of UW forestry school, is re-elected vice chair

OLYMPIA – At its regular monthly meeting today, the Board of Natural Resources re-elected Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark as its chair. In addition to serving on the Board, Goldmark manages the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and administers a $625 million, two-year department budget.

The Board also elected Thomas DeLuca as vice chair. DeLuca is Dean of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of The Environment, University of Washington, which is one of several beneficiaries that receive revenue from DNR’s management of state trust lands.

The Board also received a report about a small parcel of aquatic tidelands donated recently to the state by its private owner. The 0.20-acre tideland is located north of Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park in West Seattle and is frequently used by park visitors. The gifted parcel, assessed at $8,800 by King County, consolidates DNR’s management of the tidelands in the area and ensures public access and environmental management of the area for future generations.

Commissioner of Public Lands
As the elected Commissioner of Public Lands, Goldmark oversees the state’s largest fire department, protecting 12.7 million acres of private and state-owned land from wildfires. As Commissioner, he also chairs the state Forest Practices Board, which sets rules concerning logging, road building, and other forest operations. Goldmark is the state’s 13th Commissioner of Public Lands.

Board of Natural Resources
The Board adopts policies, approves major commodity sales, and makes decisions about transactions of state lands managed by DNR. Its membership represents the major beneficiaries of state trust lands, including construction of public schools, universities, and prisons as well as support for hospitals, libraries and other services in 21 of the state’s counties.

DNR manages millions of acres of state trust lands to raise money for the construction of public schools, colleges and universities, prisons, and other institutions and to help pay for services, such as hospitals and libraries, in several counties. Since 1970, DNR-managed state trust lands have provided nearly $7.6 billion in non-tax revenue to beneficiaries. The department also manages about 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands.

Media Contact: Bob Redling, Senior Communications Manager, 360-902-1149, bob.redling@dnr.wa.gov