ABOUT
Legacy Forest Defense Coalition
The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to serving a forum and resource for people who care about the conservation of mature and old growth forests on DNR managed land in Western Washington.
OUR
MISSION
Mature and old growth forests in Western Washington are rapidly disappearing, as the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) auctions them off to logging companies with virtually no oversight, public input, or media attention. These rare and unique, low elevation forest remnants located along the west coast of Washington State and across the Puget Sound Region belong to all of us and represent an important part of our natural heritage. The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition is intended to function as a forum and resource for organizations working to stop the senseless clearcutting of these last few remaining, older, un-planted legacy forests.
LFDC and its partner organizations are working to change forest management practices on state forestlands in many ways:
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By informing and educating citizens about forest management practices, DNR policies, and individual timber sales, and holding DNR accountable for its actions.
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By sending photographers out into the field to gather data and capture images of these forests, and sharing content on social media.
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By participating in the forest practices application review and SEPA public comment process and attending DNR Board meetings.
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By forming alliances and organizing to oppose destructive timber sales at the grassroots level.
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By working with local tribes, elected officials and state legislators to build support for the protection of legacy forests.
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By strategically challenging individual timber sales in court.
OUR STAFF
Stephen Kropp
Stephen Kropp, founder of the Center for Responsible Forestry and Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, has worked as an environmental advocate, project coordinator, water resources engineer, forest hydrologist, and private consultant in the Pacific Northwest for almost 30 years. He earned his BS in Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and a Master's degree in Public Administration at the University of Washington in Seattle. As a graduate and post-graduate research assistant, he worked with the UW College of Forest Resources, the Center for Urban Water Resource Management, the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and Columbia Basin Research on a wide variety of projects. While working for the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon, he developed an intense interest in plant taxonomy and community ecology. His passion for forest ecology and conservation began as a young child living near the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and continues to fuel his desire to conserve our shared natural heritage.
Joshua Wright
Joshua Wright is an award-winning filmmaker and a youth forest defense activist, working for the preservation of the more than human world. He works with the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition as a forest campaigner in WA to protect the last naturally regenerated forests on state lands. In British Columbia, he uses satellite imagery to track the logging of endangered old-growth forests and works with lead researchers to protect endangered species living in threatened old growth forests. He was a part of the Fairy Creek Blockade which facilitated the largest active civil disobedience in Canadian history. He is a board member of Mason County Climate Justice and has been involved with groups including Fridays For Future and Extinction Rebellion.
Soumya Keefe is a recent graduate from the Colorado College Environmental Studies Program. At Colorado College, she completed research investigating how societies transform and applied those theories to urban agriculture. She examined what factors are necessary for widespread lasting change to occur in ways that create more sustainable and just food systems. She worked for Pierce Conservation District as the Harvest Pierce County Intern, supporting the network of community gardens there. Soumya is passionate about using both legal and policy based solutions in tandem with grassroots movements to enact social change. She is excited to bring her unique perspective and experience to Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, and work to preserve Washington’s natural forests.
Soumya Keefe
Kyle Krakow
Kyle Krakow is an activist and photographer living in Washington. Since 2010, he has worked with a range of nonprofits focused on forests, wildlife, climate justice, mutual aid, and housing. Kyle grew up near the Everglades where he fell in love with the outdoors and earned a BS in Geography from Florida Atlantic University. Before moving west, he spent nearly a decade campaigning against the international primate trade while supporting projects to end deforestation and fossil fuel financing. He volunteers as a tree-climbing research assistant for Ancient Forest Society and is a member of the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance. Kyle is committed to fighting for forests and all who rely on them.
Andy Zahn
Andy Zahn is a distinguished photographer, videographer, and writer living and working in rural Southwest Washington. Andy grew up on a small farm and developed at a young age a deep appreciation for the wild landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, a fascination with the intricate workings of ecosystems, and a fervent desire to protect our natural environment. Andy’s work is widely published, and he has years of experience working with non-profits, including the Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, for whom he has created videos showcasing the refuge, as well as given photography classes as part of local events. His nature videos from around the Pacific Northwest have been featured on “Right This Minute”. Andy is an outspoken advocate for conservation.
