A leading grassroots forestry
watchdog in the Pacific Northwest
Using citizen science, grassroots pressure and strategic litigation, the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (LFDC) has protected thousands of acres of native forests since 2023.
WHAT ARE LEGACY FORESTS?
Legacy forests are defined as forests that retain significant biological, structural, and genetic legacies of the natural and old growth forests that once dominated the Pacific Northwest. These natural forests, which were often selectively logged prior to World War II, and allowed to grow back on their own, are the closest thing to old growth that remains in most lowland watersheds of Western Washington.
13.2 percent
of state forest lands in Western Washington are classified as legacy or old growth forests.
92,000 acres
of legacy forests are unprotected and at risk. This represents half of all state owned legacy forests in Western Washington.
20,800 acres
Of legacy forest are scheduled for commercial logging in the next five years (FY 2025-2030).*
* Based on LiDAR, DNR forest inventory data, LFDC proprietary modeling, and timber sale data from June 2024.
LFDC in the News
June 5, 2026
Environmental groups sue to stop 400 acres of logging in WA’s Elwha Watershed
Washington State Standard
May 13, 2026
Is the Alaska "Landless Bill" Land Back or Land Grab?! With Wanda Culp and Joshua Wright
Coast Range Radio
January 3, 2026
Target on Tongass: The wildest national forest may soon lose its protections
Seattle Time Pacific NW Magazine
Each month, hundreds of acres of legacy forests are sold at auction by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. If the logging continues, these forests will be gone in many parts of Western Washington within the next ten years.
We are holding the Washington State Department of Natural Resources accountable.
The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition is a science-based nonprofit organization that is leading the fight to save Western Washington's last legacy forests through precedent-setting lawsuits, comprehensive timber sale reconnaissance, effective community organizing, powerful tribal and county partnerships, and cutting edge research and GIS analysis.
Our work is made possible thanks to the support we receive from people like you.
TODAY'S
LEGACY FORESTS
