CRC weighs in on DNR public lands yield policies

The Department of Natural Resources recently initiated a scoping process for a planned EIS on recalcualtion of sustainable yields on trust lands. Members of the CRC attended the first hearing, and Pete Holm submitted the following comments on behalf of the CRC trustees:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the DNR's recalculation of sustainable yields on trust lands. My comments are on behalf of the Chehalis River Council (CRC), of which I am a board member, as well as for myself.

The CRC is a volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the conservation and restoration of the greater Chehalis River Basin resources. As such, our primary interest is to assure that watersheds be protected and enhanced. We appreciate the attention the DNR has paid to watershed protection in the past several years. We support policies respecting stream side buffers, culvert replacement, and road construction and abandonment that protect wetlands and streams. When these protective policies come in conflict with short-term commercial interests and maximization of timber harvest, we stand firmly on the side of protection.

At the same time, we do recognize that the DNR must manage a significant harvest of timber in order to fulfill its trust responsibilities, and that the needs of the public for recreational opportunities on public lands must be recognized and accommodated.

We make the following recommendations:

  1. Cease commercial harvest of timber on all remaining old growth stands.
  2. Where stands of mature second-growth (60 years of age or more) are harvested, reserve a significant fraction to mature into forests with old-growth characteristics.
  3. Pursue genuinely sustainable forestry on lands well-suited for timber production. Sustainable forestry will result in no net loss of soils and habitat, and can be continued for many generations.
  4. Identify and protect from the effects of timber harvesting and recreation all lands of a particularly sensitive nature respecting watershed protection and habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species.
  5. Certify state forests under the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Thanks again for the chance to comment on the sustainable yield calculations.

Pete Holm, Board Member, Chehalis River Council

Washington Environmental Council (WEC) provided the following background information on this issue:

Washington has 2.1 million acres of state-owned forests logged by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide revenue for beneficiaries including K-12 schools, universities, and counties. There is tremendous tension between protecting public resources like water and wildlife and cutting as many trees as possible for maximum short-term revenue. Today, the public's water, wildlife and recreational opportunities often get the short end of the stick.

WEC's Sustainable State Forests Campaign aims to improve management of Washington's state forests, creating a model of sustainable forestry that protects the environment and benefits all citizens of the state. Having the state set a responsible logging level is key to meeting that goal.

For more information, see the official Department of Natural Resources notice and additional information at: http://www.wa.gov/dnr

The way DNR manages our state forests today is not sustainable. In order for state forests to be a model of sustainable forestry, the state needs to make significant improvements.

The state forests are logged to produce revenue for schools and counties, but the logging must be done in a way that protects public values, including clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Logging in state forests must also follow the principle of "intergenerational equity." This means that the state must log in a way that does not benefit today's schoolchildren at the expense of tomorrow's.

WEC believes it is important to ask that the logging level factor in these specific protections:

* "Have the state forests certified under the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council." Green certification is similar to an "organic" label on food-the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label tells you that the wood comes from a relatively well-managed forest. Westside state forests have been found eligible for FSC certification if the state makes some major improvements.
* "Protect the remaining old growth on state forest lands." According to the Department of Natural Resources, there are roughly 80,000 acres of trees 150 years and older on state-managed land. Unless the state changes its policy, much of these old-growth forests are available for logging. Most of our old growth forests are gone. It's time to protect the precious small amount that remains.
* "Don't move ahead with the rollbacks in wildlife protection." Last spring, Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland proposed rolling back several wildlife protection measures implemented by the previous administration. These measures include interim protections for spotted owl habitat areas, legacy trees required to be left after clear cutting, and protections aimed at lessening the cumulative effects of logging in one watershed.

Becky Kelley

email: becky@wecprotects.org

website: www.wecprotects.org

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