On his first day in office, Washington’s newly elected Commissioner of Public Lands (head of the state Department of Natural Resources, or DNR) Dave Upthegrove announced a six-month pause on timber harvests in certain structurally complex mature forests. It affects 23 timber sales on state land that were slated to be auctioned and logged in the first half of the year.
After several years of pushing for protecting mature forest stands in Northwest Washington — DNR timber sales like Brokedown Palace and Bessie — this is very welcome news. It may sound modest, but this is the first time something like this has happened. It’s a big step toward Upthegrove’s campaign promise of improving the way we manage our older forests; toward actually taking into account the many benefits these forests provide us for free when we leave them standing.
Mature forests are our best natural climate solution. They’re more resistant to destructive wildfires. They stabilize the land and soak up water like a sponge, which means fewer landslides, less extreme flooding, and even more water to feed streams in the dry summertime. And they store massive amounts of carbon, which we need desperately for climate stability in tandem with developments in renewable energy and phasing out fossil fuels.
Perhaps the most key benefit of this logging pause is that it gives the DNR time to 1) get a clear picture of WA’s mature forests statewide, and 2) build out policies and develop solutions that maintain the life-saving benefits forests offer us all — including sustainable, local timber economies. Our Future Forests campaign has been working to stop logging of important mature forests in Northwest Washington while pushing for long-term solutions at the state level. Now, we finally have this window of opportunity to make the changes needed to preserve these forests while fulfilling trust obligations to timber revenue-receiving beneficiaries like rural school districts.
There are over 80,000 acres of mature forests, “the old growth of tomorrow”, in western Washington. While the six-month pause is a great start, our engagement and support is crucial during this time to ensure that Upthegrove’s DNR is successful in protecting these forests long-term. Stay up to date with RE Sources’ Action Alert emails — you’ll be the first to know how you can use your voice to bring forest management into the 21st century. We have the tools to protect the forests that protect us, while still harvesting wood in more sustainable ways (check out our video on ecological forest management).