On public lands across Western Washington, many of the last remaining native forests are on the brink of being lost forever.
These biodiverse and structurally complex forests are among our most powerful natural climate solutions. They sequester massive amounts of carbon while protecting watersheds, supporting endangered species, mitigating wildfire and flood risks, and sustaining Tribal cultural traditions and public recreation.
Despite the Commissioner of Public Lands’ vow to conserve these rare forests, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues to auction them off for commercial logging in monthly timber sales. That's where you come in.
Send a message to WA Governor Bob Ferguson (sample below) urging him to lead where DNR has failed. Let's encourage Gov. Ferguson to play an active role in challenging DNR’s ongoing destruction of our irreplaceable native forests—so that these vital ecosystems can endure for generations to come.
Sample Message:
Dear Governor Ferguson,
As a Washington resident who cares deeply about the future of our forests, climate, and communities, I urge you to take immediate action to protect structurally complex native forests on our state lands. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues to auction off these irreplaceable ecosystems each month in destructive timber sales, despite prior commitments by Commissioner Upthegrove to conserve them. Your leadership is needed now to change course.
Compared to homogeneous tree plantations, native and structurally complex forests provide outsized public benefits. They sequester significant amounts of carbon, provide habitat for endangered and other sensitive species, mitigate wildfire and flood risks, hold deep cultural significance for Tribes, and offer exceptional opportunities for recreation, tourism, scientific research, and environmental education. The management of these public lands should reflect the importance of all of the above, not just timber revenue.
As the Washington Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Franz v. Conservation Northwest makes clear, there are “myriad ways” aside from timber production for DNR to generate revenue for trust beneficiaries. That ruling was reinforced in February of this year when the Division I Court of Appeals concluded that 1) DNR violated state law by failing to "[s]tudy, develop, and describe appropriate alternatives" to the Wishbone timber sale in King County, and 2) DNR "has not conducted an alternatives analysis as it is required to do under subsection (2)(e)" of RCW 43.21C.030. This opinion is consistent with the Policy for Sustainable Forests, which requires DNR to develop and analyze management alternatives that meet multiple objectives during its forest land planning process.
Until DNR complies with RCW 43.21C.030(2)(e) and develops comprehensive forest land plans that evaluate actual alternatives that meet multiple objectives, as required under the Policy for Sustainable Forests, continued logging of structurally complex forests remains inconsistent with state law and DNR's own policies. I respectfully urge you as Governor to guide the Board of Natural Resources toward a more sustainable paradigm by supporting a moratorium on logging these rare native forests until forest land plans can be completed or updated for each HCP planning unit in Western Washington.
Washington has an opportunity to lead in climate resilience and sustainable forest management. Please don’t waste it.
Thank you,
Maximizing Your Impact
So you've sent your message to Governor Ferguson. Now what? Here are a few ways to maximize your impact:
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Share this webpage. The more Washingtonians who contact the Governor about this critical issue, the louder our collective call becomes.
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Comment at a Board of Natural Resources meeting. Publicly advocate (in person or virtually) for the protection of Washington's native legacy forests.
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Organize locally and get creative! Whether you host an outreach event, write an op-ed, or share a video on social media—you can amplify the forest-saving message far and wide. For more ideas, or to make suggestions, get in touch.