Logging and mining helped to create this small town in southeastern Snohomish County.
A century later, logging is upsetting people in Index.
W.B. Foresters in Stanwood wants to log 95 acres on a mountain ridge just south of the town off U.S. 2 in the Skykomish Valley.
About 20 people came to the town hall to complain after a notice about the project was posted recently on a community bulletin board, said Lisa Stowe, the town clerk.
"That's a lot for the town of 150," Stowe said Monday.
The town's response surprised Debbie Buse, W.B. Foresters' business manager.
"Index was founded on timber and mining. We were stunned, to tell you the truth," she said.
The logging company owns the property and plans to cut down old alders, Buse said.
Stowe said people are concerned that the project will damage the area's scenic view, lower their property values and damage the environment of the area, which is on a steep slope.
The town incorporated in 1907 and thrived with its loggers and miners, said David Cameron, president of the town's historical society.
"It's entirely changed," Cameron said. "I don't know anybody in town who makes a living that way."
People now live in and visit the town for hiking and rafting and other recreational activities, said Louise Lindgren, Cameron's wife. Lindgren, originally from Seattle, has lived in Index for 30 years.
She may try to have a conservation group buy the land, Lindgren said.
"I think the ecosystem of that area is extremely important," she said.
The company has applied for a permit from the state for the project. It proposes to plant Douglas firs and other trees to reforest the area after logging, Buse said.
"We are within the law 100 percent," Buse said.
The company doesn't mind selling the property to a conservation group or people in Index as long as they can raise enough money, Buse said.
Buse said she is willing to listen to people's concerns.
"We are neighbors," she said. "That's what neighbors do."Herald Net
