What's happening?
Each month, Washington State's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) brings timber sale proposals to the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) for approval. Most take the form of variable retention harvests—clearcuts with a few trees left behind—intended to generate revenue for trust beneficiaries and DNR itself.
But instead of focusing on existing timber plantations, DNR disproportionately targets what remains of our mature, structurally complex native forests. Most of these legacy forests, as they are called, were selectively logged before World War II and have since naturally regenerated into biodiverse forest ecosystems. They provide endangered species habitat, store massive amounts of carbon, reduce flood risk, increase wildfire resilience, and hold deep cultural significance for Tribes and local communities. Nearly 30,000 acres of these forests lack protection and remain on the chopping block.
How is UW involved?
Per RCW 43.30.205(1), the six-member Board of Natural Resources includes an official from the University of Washington: Dan Brown, Director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Given his title, one might expect Brown to be raising ecological concerns about proposals that threaten legacy forests. Instead, he has consistently voted in favor of them since joining the BNR in 2018.
This places UW at odds with its public identity as a global climate and sustainability leader, without providing any meaningful benefit to the University. From 2015 to 2024, DNR timber revenue accounted for less than 0.05% of the total revenue UW received from all sources. That’s simply not worth the cost to our public lands, climate, and future generations.
Where's the leverage?
Timber sale proposals require at least four affirmative votes from the Board for approval. Two board members, Chris Reykdal and Raj Khosla, are already exercising their power to vote against DNR’s legacy forest timber sales at monthly meetings. If even one more member joins them, it would change the whole game. (Reykdal and Khosla’s dissent once blocked a timber sale, but only because Dan Brown was absent from the meeting. The sale was later approved with Brown’s support.)
Take action!
This is a critical moment where the UW community can make a real, measurable impact for the future of our public lands. Here’s how:
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Comment at a Board of Natural Resources meeting. Publicly advocate (in person or virtually) for the protection of our naturally regenerated and structurally complex forests.
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Contact Dan Brown directly. Kindly encourage him as a UW official to stop green-lighting the destruction of our most carbon-dense and habitat-rich native forests.
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Multiply your impact by spreading the word! Share this information on campus, post on social media, or write an op-ed spotlighting UW’s role in the clearcutting of legacy forests.