OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove has scaled back an executive order intended to conserve older, structurally complex state forests, reducing the target from 77,000 acres to approximately 55,000 acres across Western Washington.
Foresters also recognized that retaining small, disconnected parcels across checkerboard ownership landscapes imposed severe management costs while providing minimal wildlife habitat connectivity compared to larger, intact forest blocks.
Junior taxing districts in timber-dependent counties possess statutory standing to challenge harvest reductions that impair their tax base, creating immediate litigation risk for the agency.
The third mechanism would allow local governments to purchase ecosystem service credits that compensate trust funds for water filtration, salmon habitat restoration, and public recreation access.
Without legislative action, agency foresters will eventually face legal pressure from county commissioners to appraise and auction these stands as harvest rotations mature.
Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove adjusted his order protecting older state forests from 77,000 to 55,000 acres, calling the initial target a false start amid timber revenue deficits.