Thurston County gets a lump of coal from DNR for Christmas.
Monday the Department of Natural Resources announced which of eight counties had made requests for older structurally complex 2nd growth forests (commonly known as Legacy Forests) to be protected permanently from logging. A coalition of forest groups had lobbied the legislature in the last session for Climate Solutions money to be spent on buying replacement lands so that Legacy Forests could be protected. While 82 million dollars was provided for this purpose, Senator Van de Wege put a rider on limiting what could be saved to 2,000 acres. The forest acreages requested by the eight counties totaled several times that amount altogether. Thurston County, alone, had asked for 1060 acres because Capitol Forest is one of the largest areas in a single county of DNR managed lands.
Monday’s announcement had big winners and big losers. Jefferson County, where Hillary Franz is currently running for the Representative position to Congress, received the largest amount 950 acres. Whatcom County also received 650 acres. Only two counties received 75% of what forest will be saved. Clallam, King and Snohomish each received small parcels ranging from 69 to 290 acres. Thurston, Pierce and Kitsap counties received no protected acres despite their requests.
In the summer, DNR had met with each county to “discuss” requests. In Thurston County that mainly consisted of Duane Emmons of DNR “talking at” the Commissioners for a 55-minute slide show and telling them that DNR was analyzing what to save and would send them a report. DNR had previously determined they would priorities areas adjacent to other existing conservation high-value habitat areas.
It is not Thurston County’s fault that DNR has managed Capitol Forest in such a way that the many remaining Legacy Forest parcels we have are all next to clear cuts or plantation replants. It is clear their plan is to turn all of Capitol Forest into plantation land because over the next six years almost everything Legacy Forest we have left is scheduled to be cut. Even in this condition they still serve as critical wildlife corridors when next to plantation forest, and they still house rare plants, animal habitat and birds.
“Not sure what we did to get a lump of coal from DNR for Christmas”, she joked, “but it is clear that we need the legislature to keep providing climate solutions money to protect even more of these areas. The counties want it and under climate change it is essential that we protect these drought resistant North West forests – second only the Amazon in carbon drawdown.”
DNR made no mention in their press release of the counties that they snubbed. All three Thurston County commissioners, across party lines, who've been serving since 2021 have been asking for our lands to be protected.
We are trying to get people to call in tomorrow to DNR to express their anger over the unfair process.
Please call: 360-902-1004 ex 1.
~ Lynn Fitz-Hugh, Executive Director, Restoring Earth Connection / Friends of Trees, Olympia
3 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
johngreen
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Here are comments made on another Jolt topic:
This is very disturbing news. Our governor needs to step in and change the mindset at the DNR. He professes to be worried about climate change but allows clearcutting of legacy forests which sequester carbon to help with climate change. Outlawing gas powered cars will not offset the clearcutting of our forests. Timber companies are making record profits and need to pay more for shipping our timber to Asia. Forests cool the earth and promote rainfall to offset the affects of climate change. And Franz is running for office, who in their right mind could vote for her?
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Report this
Southsoundguy
Put it in a land trust. Stop counting on government to do anything positive for the land or communities. Democratic government organisms only consume.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Report this
carolwelch
Capitol Forest is one of the best national treasures Thurston County has. Without protection, logging will occur and the forest will be lost to our generation and those to come. Please preserve our legacy forest.
Carol Welch, PhD, Olympia
Saturday, December 23, 2023 Report this