Funding sought for farm preservation

REPUBLIC - Conservation Northwest has submitted an application to the Forest Legacy Program on behalf of Ferry County ranchers Bryan and Debra Gotham.

They are seeking a federal grant to keep the Gotham property as a working ranch and tree farm indefinitely.

The program protects forest land from conversion to non-forest uses. In Washington, the program is guided by the U.S. Forest Service and administered by the state Department of Natural Resources.

The Gothams live near Colville and own 2,200 acres in Ferry County on the north side of state Highway 20 between Republic and the Colville National Forest. The core of the property has been in the family for half a century, a Conservation Northwest announcement said.

They manage it for timber and cattle production, wildlife and water stewardship, and public access for hunting and other non-motorized recreation. They graze cattle on part of the Colville National Forest between the Colville Indian Reservation and Highway 20.

Conservation Northwest is based in Bellingham, with offices in Spokane and Republic.

Conservation Northwest funded contract work associated with the application, and has committed to raising private funds needed to match the prospective Forest Legacy grant, the announcement said.