The property owner who hoped to log 100 acres of his property on the south end of the island has withdrawn his proposal to do so.

The project, which included a 40-acre clear cut on a steep slope, created concern among neighbors and environmentalists, with more than 100 people submitting comments to the state about the proposal.

On Monday, Jim Heuring of the Department of Natural Resources announced the withdrawal by the owner, Fukuen Eric Chen of Bellevue. Heuring had been slated to decide on the fate of the proposal later this week.

Chen’s action came after Heuring and a variety of experts toured the property last Thursday as part of the evaluation of Chen’s forest practices application. The findings from that day stopped the process, Heuring noted, in particular, indications that showed small but distinct movement in the landslide area.

“The big thing was the clear cut on the landslide feature. That was not going to happen because of the things we saw,” he said.

For that part of the project to proceed, Heuring said that Chen would have had to provide further evaluation to determine that logging would not affect the area — and that additional information might not even suffice.

“He could spend lots and lots of money on a geological study, and it might not get him anywhere,” he added.

Additionally, Heuring said, logging in the groundwater recharge area was an additional concern that was “hard to defend.”

Looking ahead, he said he expects Chen to submit an application to log outside of the landslide and recharge areas.

Such an application could be put together quickly, he said, as early as next week. Heuring added that the next application will require a letter from a geologist indicating that all the issues related to a Class IV Forestry Practices Application — as this application was — have been removed. Because of the reduced environmental impact of such a project, the next application would be governed by a different process, he said, and no one will be automatically notified about it. Those who want to receive a notification can request that they be informed on the agency’s website.

On Monday, Heuring said that about 60 comments had come in over the weekend. Most of those submitted during the comment window, however, did not pertain to the rules that govern logging, and Heuring said he made his decisions because of findings during the site visit, not because of the comments. An exception to that, however, was the issue of arsenic, which some islanders addressed with the agency, as did Sen. Sharon Nelson, who lives on Maury Island.

While Chen did not attend the Thursday site visit, his consultant did, Heuring said, noting that he made it clear to the consultant that best practices for logging with arsenic in the soil should be followed when and if logging occurs there.

“The Department of Ecology sent us a letter that outlines the mitigation steps necessary to keep it (arsenic) on-site, and the consultant was more that willing to do that,” Heuring said.

When news of the proposed logging project first spread two weeks ago, Vashon’s Derek Churchill was among those concerned. Churchill has a doctorate in forest ecology and forest management, is a forestry consultant, does forest research and teaches forestry at the University of Washington. At the time, he said that the location in question was not an area he would propose the harvest that was planned — or any harvest — and that moving ahead with it could put public resources at risk.

On Monday, after learning that Chen had withdrawn his application, Churchill said it appeared to him the process had worked.

“I am definitely pleased that … the DNR appears to have done a good job of doing additional review of the project and responding to the concerns of the community,” he said.

He added that he had not been to the property in some time, but believes the forest could benefit from management, such as thinning or creating areas of opening in it.

Churchill also noted that without a threat to public resources or safety, the decision about what will happen there is a private one.

“If Mr. Chen does decide to clear cut it, that is ultimately his right. It is his property,” he said.

He added that in that event, Chen would be required to replant — and that he would not be the first islander to clear cut their land, as many do so when they purchase land to build houses or for other personal reasons.

Churchill noted that he thinks the public pressure and high profile of the project helped the process, but he had good words for the DNR in this situation.

“They were following the process and identified the risk, and it prevented something that would not have been a great thing socially, environmentally or ecologically,” he said.

At the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, Executive Director Tom Dean said that the agency has had a long-standing offer in with Chen to purchase the property for fair market value. Dean says he plans to follow up on that offer.

“We have always thought it would make a lovely addition to the Lost Lake preserve, and we still do. We would love to see it conserved,” he said.

As news of the change in the project’s status spread on Monday, neighbors of the Chen property expressed relief, including Louisa Eastman, whose land, including a summer cabin, adjoins Chen’s. It has been in her family for 70 years.

“I am just very, very happy and relieved,” she said. “This has been our sanctuary for such a long time, and I am glad it is not going to go away.”

As for Heuring, who said it was not islanders’ letters and emails that swayed him, but a visit to the site itself, he indicated he could appreciate the thoughts expressed during the comment phase.

“The whole island is so beautiful. I understand people’s concerns,” he said.