WA to conserve 77,000 acres of older forests on state lands

The Washington Department of Natural Resources plans to conserve 77,000 acres of older forests while allowing logging on 29,000 acres. Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove hailed the initiative as Washington's most significant forest conservation move in a generation, aimed at enhancing climate resilience and habitat. Despite this, both conservationists, led by the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, and timber industry representatives expressed dissatisfaction. The coalition criticized the plan, asserting it maintains the status quo while threatening critical forest areas, particularly in the Capitol State Forest and Chehalis River Basin. Conversely, industry advocates argued that limiting logging lands would reduce vital revenue for public services and jeopardize jobs in the forestry sector.

The Department plans to generate revenue from the conserved lands through strategies such as selling carbon credits. This decision aligns with previous actions, wherein the agency set aside 1. 2 million acres of trust lands for habitat connectivity. Upthegrove's plan reflects ongoing debates over forest management in Washington.