PCT Communicator Assignment

      Can We Win on the Checkerboard?

     Located in Washington, the Pacific Crest Trail is split, in a checkerboard format, into Forest Service land and land that was allotted to Burlington Northern railroad. Later the land was transported to Plum Creek Timber Company. It is still in their possession today. This mean a Pacific Crest trail user would experience both owned and public land while hiking. The land would include a mixture of natural areas and areas that would be challenging to maneuver across. Purchasing the checkerboard parcels of land has been a prerogative of both Pacific Crest Trail and the Forest Service. The previous parcel purchases has reduced timber harvesting. Another parcel is being secured. It is known as the Stampede Pass parcel. It was obtained by The Trust for Public Land from the owner, Plum Creek Timber Company. This was done because their options were limiting; they did not want it to be a possibility that the land was sold for negative intentions. The Trust for Public Land was shielding the parcel until the Forest Service would be able to purchase it. The purchase of the land is expected to made and transported to the Forest Service;however, there are other unsecured parcels. Due to low funding, the forest service, alone, will not be able to purchase the checkerboard parcels. Fortunately, with the help of The Trust for Public Land, the Forest Service are closer to a steady landscape. 

  Three facts I have learned

• In the nineteenth century, Burlington Northern Railroad received ownership to every other square mile during the railroad aid.
• During the last decade eleven checkerboard parcels have been acquired and included to Snoqualmie National Forest.
• A lot of the land that was allotted to Burlington Northern Railroad was later transported to Plum Creek Timber Company. 

Two interesting things

• The Pacific Crest Trial Association and Forest Service has made it their prerogative to purchase the checkerboard parcels. 
• The Forest Service and other organization that is helping with funding the parcel is for recreational purposes.    

Two unanswered question

• Why did the land that was originally owned by Burlington Northern Railroad get conveyed to Plum Creek Timber Company?
• How many checkerboard parcels have been purchased since this article has been written?

Two Critical Words 

• Parcel - a thing or collection of things wrapped in paper 
• acquire - to purchase or obtain

The words parcel and acquire are critical to ones understanding,while reading the article, because those words are frequently used throughout the article. 

The connections that I have made are that the Forest Service and other organizations mentioned help with recreational purposes, such as public recreation parks.