Land In Chewelah Up For Auction

A big chunk of the city of Chewelah is up for auction today.

The state Department of Natural Resources will accept bids today on 530 acres of land next to the Chewelah Golf Course and Country Club, including a subdivision with 70 homes and 219 lots. The purchase will be subject to leases, valid through the year 2079, on the home sites.

The site is a non-contiguous portion of the city, two miles northeast of the main part of town.

Separate from the home sites, where logging is banned, the auction includes 1.7 million board feet of marketable timber valued at $713,000. The golf course and the nearby Chewelah airport also are leased from the DNR, but are not for sale.

DNR spokeswoman Merritt said the agency has set a minimum bid of $965,000, which reflects the lease encumbrance.