Adding about 3,500 acres to the state’s 118,700 acres of natural resource conservation areas, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark last month signed executive orders to keep about 3,400 acres of Hood Canal coastline and 100 acres of forest in the central Cascades forever protected.

Goldmark’s action expands the Dabob Bay and West Tiger Mountain Natural Resource Conservation Areas.

The West Tiger Mountain NRCA will be expanded by 97 acres. This area includes Tiger, Squak and Cougar Mountains, and ranges from 470 feet above sea level at Tradition Plateau to 2,948 feet at the summit of West Tiger Peak. The conservation area includes old-growth cedar and fir forests, and important habitat for cougar, bobcat, elk and owls.

The Dabob Bay natural area will add 3,393 acres.

“This transfer helps protect sensitive ecological areas and recreation access while still ensuring revenue for our region’s social services and schools,” said Jon Hoekstra, executive director of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.