Bothell seeks DNR trust-land transfer to permanently preserve 26.86-acre Shelton View parcel

Bothell parks staff and community volunteers said the city will submit a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) trust‑land transfer application aimed at permanently preserving a 26.86‑acre DNR parcel inside Shelton View Forest as parkland.

At a Parks and Recreation Board meeting in September, Kai Patnode, parks planning and capital projects assistant, described the parcel and why the city is applying. “Our goal for the trust land transfer grant is to secure permanent preservation of the Shelton View parcel as a park,” Patnode said, outlining next steps that include a DNR trust analysis, a presentation to DNR in 2026 and then legislative consideration of funded transfers.

The trust‑land transfer program allows public agencies, including cities, counties and tribes, to request state trust lands that are judged a better public use than continued timber or agricultural production; when transfers occur, the Legislature provides funds to buy replacement lands for the trust beneficiaries. Patnode cited Wallace Falls State Park as a larger precedent of land preserved through the program.

Community groups and volunteers already working in the forest told the board they support preservation. Sarah, representing Friends of North Creek Forest, read a letter praising the Shelton View Forest Stewardship Association and urged the city to work with the stewardship group to protect the forest. David Bain, speaking for the Shelton View Forest Stewardship Association, thanked city staff for help preparing the application and said the group has collected “over a 100 letters” of community support while continuing outreach to schools and tribal governments.

Patnode said the application targets the 26.86‑acre parcel that DNR classifies as urban land in transitional status and that the city views as a high priority. He said the parcel sits adjacent to Shelton View Elementary School and Bothell's western city limit and that the city submitted the application to DNR to start the transfer review; as of the meeting he expected the formal application submittal on September 26.

Patnode reported the applicant team’s outreach and support: 152 community letters, six letters from local organizations, a letter from state Rep. Davina Duerr and two recent letters of guidance from tribal entities. He said city staff intend to emphasize community, recreational and ecological benefits and noted that DNR scores candidate properties on community support, public benefits, ecological values and tribal coordination.

If DNR’s initial “best interest of the trust” analysis finds the parcel appropriate, Patnode said the city would present to DNR in 2026 and DNR would prioritize and forward parcels to the Legislature, which decides funding. Patnode cautioned that transfers require state funding to purchase replacement trust lands and that final approval is a multi‑step process.

Board members and staff discussed adjacent parcels and prior efforts to protect neighboring acreage. Board members noted an earlier 2017 Conservation Futures effort in Snohomish County and the mixed ownership pattern around the forest, including a FEMA parcel and privately held land. Staff said the 26.86‑acre DNR parcel is the immediate focus and that negotiations about other adjacent parcels would be a separate effort.

Why it matters: Preserving the parcel would add a city‑owned natural area adjacent to an elementary school, extend protected urban forest, and strengthen the stewardship relationship between volunteer groups and the city. City staff and community members said the application and coordinated letters help the city make its case during DNR’s review and to legislators.

Next steps: staff will submit the trust‑land transfer application (Patnode indicated a target of Sept. 26), respond to any DNR information requests, prepare a presentation if invited to DNR in 2026, and continue outreach to generate support tied to DNR scoring criteria.