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History of the Checkerboard Land Ownership Pattern

The land that flanks Interstate 90 in Washington State (I-90 corridor) has a fragmented pattern of private and public land ownership. The "checkerboard" pattern is a result of land that was granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1864. The railroad was given alternating sections of land with the rest staying in public ownership to become part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Eventually, the railroad grant lands came under the ownership of the Plum Creek Timber Company.

In recent years, there has been strong interest on the part of federal agencies and the public to eliminate the checkerboard pattern. The checkerboard pattern makes management of wildlife and the forest more difficult on a landscape level. Environmental groups, also concerned about the ecological health of the central Cascade forests, recreational opportunities and the scenic quality of the I-90 corridor, have become active in trying to change the ownership patterns.

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The Mountains to Sound Greenway is a coalition of working to influence development and land ownership in the I-90 corridor.