The Green River Gorge was established as a state conservation area by the Washington State Legislature in 1969. RCW 79A.05.700 declares the Gorge to be of statewide significance, and directs purchase of "a twelve mile strip incorporating the visual basins of the Green River from the Kummer Bridge to Palmer. . ." Agency planning efforts that included significant public participation developed a prioritized listing for acquisition of the remaining parcels. Progress has been made each funding cycle, making modifications as needed to respond to market realities in the area. The parcel proposed for acquisition in the 2005-07 biennium is the 158-acre Kanaskat-Palmer/Jellum Connection, formerly owned by Plum Creek Timber, recently purchased by La Terra Limited Partnership. This parcel is a critical inholding, lying between the Green River and a square mile of land managed by DNR. It provides a connection at the plateau level between the development at Kanaskat-Palmer and state park ownership at Jellum, two miles west. It also links with private land in section 17, currently targeted for acquisition by the county and cooperating nongovernment organizations.