About this work:​​

The Olympic rain shadow represents a rare intersection of climatic moderation, geological diversity, and ecological richness. Unlike the moss-draped rainforests of the western Olympics, the eastern slopes and adjacent lowlands host drier, more fire-adapted forests with unique assemblages of flora. These conditions support niche forest communities that are vanishingly rare on a global scale. Their conservation is not just a local concern—it’s a global imperative.

Historically the Department of Natural Resources has auctioned forests in this region, without first assessing whether these forests contain rare or endangered ecosystems. We are working to change that.

Since 2006, DNR’s Policy for Sustainable Forests has obligated the agency to protect “element occurrences” (EOs)—sites where rare plants or rare plant communities are found. However, the agency’s Natural Heritage Program (WNHP) lacks the funding and staffing to reliably identify these occurrences before authorizing timber sales. The result: rare ecosystems are logged before their ecological significance is ever known.

Over the past two years, LFDC has visited nearly 200 planned timber sales across Western Washington, these surveys have uncovered nearly a dozen previously undocumented EOs, all of them in the Olympic Rainshadow. When reported, these discoveries trigger mandatory site visits by DNR staff. In many cases, WNHP has verified LFDC’s findings, forcing DNR to cancel or modify sales and protect ecologically sensitive forests.

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We have reported numerous rare plant communities across hundreds of acres of DNR managed lands, some of these reports have yet to be verified however, the following represent some of our most notable confirmed discoveries:

• In 2023, LFDC documented a globally imperiled plant community in a Green Mountain State Forest. This resulted in a WNHP site visit which documented 257 acres of new rare plant communities across the mountain, almost all of these rare ecosystems had been scheduled to be logged between 2023 and 2024.

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• In May 2024, LFDC discovered a globally rare forest association—Western Red-cedar, Douglas-fir, and Grand Fir with Cascade Barberry and Western Sword fern in the Power Station timber sale near Sequim. After DNR confirmed the presence of rare plant communities across 112 acres of the sale area, the entire timber sale was canceled. The plant community in this forest is particularly unique with just five examples of this ecosystem type known to exist (including this one.)

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• In October 2024, LFDC identified Whipplea modesta, a regionally rare plant, in the Parched and Alley Cat timber sales. DNR’s follow-up confirmed not only the presence of this plant in both sales but also multiple imperiled plant communities in units 1, 2 and 5 of Ally Cat. As a result, 29 acres were removed from Alley Cat and 11 acres were removed from Parched.

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• In July 2025, LFDC identified rare plant communities in the Dungeness & Dragons timber sale after it had already been auctioned to a timber company. DNR confirmed this finding and 19 acres were removed from the sale.​

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These discoveries have prompted the DNR's Olympic region to hire a full-time staff member who will start surveying timber sales for these rare ecosystems during the normal timber sale layout process.

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In addition to our work documenting rare ecosystems in the rainshadow LFDC is also engaging with the City of Port Angeles and local community groups to promote the conservation of the Elwha watershed, and other high priority sites. We are currently supporting efforts to:

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• Expand the Salt Creek Recreation area to protect the geologically distinct Striped Peak, where multiple destructive timber sales are planned, including Tiger Stripes and Birds Eye View.

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• Conserve the Elwha watershed in a natural resources conservation area or eco-forestry designation. We supported the City of Port Angeles' trust land transfer (TLT) application, which was rejected by DNR and would have seen 3000 acres of the watershed protected. We are still hopeful that these areas can be protected, especially since the legislature allocated $350,000 for a study of the watershed in the 2025 legislative session.

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• Preserve the Burnt Hill legacy forest, one of the most important in the region via citizen science and advocacy. 

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

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1. Donate to our work:

Our work identifying these rare ecosystems takes considerable staff time and usually involves one or two people spending a lot of time in the forest. If you would like to support these efforts, a donation will go a long way!​

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2. If you live in Clallam County:

If you want to be more involved with organizing on the ground we recommend that you connect with the Elwha Forest Coalition. We also recommend that you attend county commissioner and park advisory committee meetings to advocate for the protection of legacy forests.

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3. Visit the forest: 

Spend time getting to know the forests in your area. Review these resources and send us an email if you think you may have found an ecologically significant site.

Rainshadow Overview Map