Paul Christensen, president of Vancouver-based Realvest Corp., owns 95 acres abutting the north side of Beard's Hollow, one of the state's most pristine peninsula parklands, and has been planning a resort development in conjunction with another adjacent private landowner. To preserve the property, the state parks department wants to trade Christensen 56 acres of beachfront up the coastline a few miles in the City of Long Beach.

The seven-member state parks commission still must approve the swap. Neither Christensen nor the state parks department have returned Monday morning calls seeking further comment on the respective values of the land, zoning issues and development timelines.

The state is reportedly trying to aggregate its scattered ownership along the peninsula to make it easier to manage. Christensen, who has built hotels and condos along the Columbia River in Vancouver, reportedly wants to build on the peninsula while ruffling the fewest feathers possible.

Christensen has been planning a $31 million beach resort for the land abutting Beard's Hollow, including 200 residential units, half of them time-share condominiums, as well as a beachfront hotel with 20 units, 30 dune-side cabins and 30 single-family homes.