A new report by the Washington Research Council contains some interesting facts about this place we call Washington state. It ought to be required reading for students and public policymakers alike. According to the council's research, only 5 percent of Washington's 70,000 square miles of land is developed.
Forests cover more than one half of the state's lands.
Crops, pastures, rangeland and property set aside for conservation account for another 35 percent. The federal government, of course. With holdings of nearly 12 million acres, it is landlord to more than one-fourth of the ground in our state. A lot of jobs are tied to the land. All this land supports an impressive diversity of life and livelihood.