Ann Copperowl

I have a tiny cabin and a storage shed on land where I don't yet live full-time. I get out there once or twice a month in the warmer months, but it is in the mountains and is virtually inacessible for several months in the winter. There is no heat, water, or electricity out there yet.

I've been slowly stocking it with tools and supplies and was doing great this year until I realized that I'd stocked many items in "tin" cans. Hmm. Cans... freezing temperatures. I'm thinking maybe this is not a good idea.

I tried an experiment at home, putting a can of green beans in my freezer to see what would happen. It came out OK. However, I'm not sure I want to risk a few hundred dollars of "wet" canned food over the winter.

Does anyone have opinions, insight, advice, or experience with canned food storage in freezing temperatures?

We looked into a Quit Claim early on. It would not have worked, mostly because you need a signature of the person (or corporate principal) who is quitting the claim. That was the problem -- they cannot be located. Still, they could have sold the timber tights to someone else without my knowledge. That's what I was concerned about.

There's a long story about why Golden Phoenix Trading Inc. is invisible, but I don't want to go into that here. They own the timber rights to a lot of land in that area. I've already been contacted by a few other property owners who have the same problem. One of them had several acres clear-cut, and doesn't want that to happen to the rest.

The general area is in the uplands north of Wauconda WA, and south of the Canadian border. It's not recommended to go in the back-country up there without permission, however. People up there tend to be rather, uhm, protective of their land.

The resolution to this issue was to file a "Quiet Title" action against the bankrupt company (Golden Phoenix Trading). The court insisted that we try to contact the principals (which of course I'd been trying to do for years). We tried to officially serve the bankrupt company with the papers, of course with no luck. Back to the court, and they allowed us to attempt service via publication in the local weekly paper. Six weeks and an enormous fee later, no one had responded. Back to the court, and the judge eventually granted the Quiet Title to grant me the timber rights. Then it had to be filed, and finally I am the owner of record of my timber rights. My attorney said it would not be necessary for me to get another title insurance policy unless I was planning to sell the land.

It took over three years, constantly keeping tabs on an attorney, and spending several thousand dollars, but now I am the only one who can legally log my land. That won't stop poachers, but it makes me feel a little better. If anyone else is in the same situation, contact me and I'll give the name of the attorney. He eventually got it done, but I hate needing to be a nag. For other people it would go faster, since evidently mine was the first case like this.

You'd have to call them to see if they have what you want, but I've generally had good luck with Molbak's.
www.molbaks.com
13625 Northeast 175th Street
Woodinville, WA 98072-8558
(425) 483-5000

It's a wonderful plant and can grow very fast -- not as fast as kudzu, but still impressive. I understand it makes good compost if you decide you have too much.

Wow, I've never heard of anyone having a hard time growing comfrey. Maybe it's the climate difference. On my property in Western WA State it has become an invasive weed. Once you get it started, you'll have plenty! Just plant it in a spot where you don't care if it's there forever, as it's very hard to kill once established.

...in my experience, anyway.

The class was cancelled, and there was a huge lack of communication about that fact by all parties. I eventually did get my fees, room and board refunded, however.

- Ann

Thanks, folks! I'll be seeing my original "Land Law" attorney tomorrow. Following that I'll make a decision about contacting the other two people -- I expect I will be doing so. It's all a huge can-o-worms which is getting more interesting (and expensive) all the time. Maybe when it's all over I can write a book. Keeping a sense of humor helps.

When I learn more, I'll post here. It may just help someone else, too.

Does anyone have knowledge of timber rights issues, law, concepts, etc., in Washington State? Or is there a decent book, website, class, or other resource that I might access?

I have undeveloped, wooded land in Eastern WA for which I do not own the timber rights. The rights are "owned in perpetuity" by a corporation which no longer exists (bankrupt and dissolved). No one can find the principals of the defunct corporation. I've been actively trying for three years -- it's a long story. I'm beginning to think I'm being taken for a ride by my lawyer who has been less than helpful despite charging some juicy fees.

I want to protect the trees on the land from being logged. Since I haven't been able to find someone who admits to being the owner of the timber rights so I can purchase them, I'm hoping that I can either acquire them another way, or else set up the property so that it would be impossible or inconvenient to log. I've heard rumors that it is not legal in WA to log within a certain distance of "a structure" but don't know the precise details of that rule -- if it is indeed true.

Any informed ideas, advice, or resources?

Is there any further information about this? Is it definitely happening?

The website [url=http://www.sahalepermaculture.com]www.sahalepermaculture.com appears to be offline or at least has lost its landing page. I can still get to the page advertising the course by going directly to http://www.sahalepermaculture.com/upcoming.htm but that's about it.

News, anyone?