WA conservationists criticize Trump's national forest logging plan
The Brief
Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands is addressing a memo from the Department of Agriculture that raised concerns about the future of the state's national forests.
Around 59% of all national forests in the U.S. would be open for logging, including some in eastern Washington state.
NORTH BEND, Wash. - Dave Upthegrove, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands, is addressing a memo from the Department of Agriculture that raised concerns about the future of the state's national forests. The memo highlighted plans to open 59 percent of National Forest Service lands nationwide to logging.
"Any work the Washington State Department of Natural Resources does with the federal government on federal land is going to respect our Evergreen State values. We're not going to harvest old growth," said Upthegrove. "While some of the intent is noble, there are some opportunities to do more work on federal land, but we're not going to see the floodgates open anytime soon."
The memo declares a public health and safety emergency, citing the growing risks of wildfires, insect infestations, and disease as justification for the change. The Department of Agriculture argues that these threats warrant expanding timber production on federal lands to mitigate these issues. Upthegrove believes if President Donald Trump pushes efforts too far, infringing upon the Clean Water and Endangered Species Act, his executive order will face legal challenges.
"The federal government still has to comply with federal law even if the President doesn't want to," said Upthegrove. "So I think it's likely these grand ambitions will be tempered by the reality of the law."
Dave Werntz, Senior Director of Science and Conservation at Conservation Northwest, voiced strong concerns about the proposal. He warns that without a well-thought-out approach, the changes could lead to chaotic outcomes.
"It feels like a smash and grab. It feels like a way to gain access to public resources and take them out of public hands," said Werntz.
Werntz also raised concerns about the federal government's recent cuts to forest service staffing, which could hinder efforts to manage the forests effectively.
"The very folks that would be required to implement this policy are being removed and the agency itself is being hobbled," said Werntz.
According to Werntz, a map included in the memo revealed the national forests most affected by the new executive order are located primarily on the eastern side of the state, as western Washington's temperate rainforests, like those in the Olympic and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests, are less vulnerable to climate change and were not included in the proposed logging areas. However, Werntz cautioned that while these forests are not directly impacted by the emergency rules, they are not off limits.
Supporters of the executive order, including the timber industry and the National Association of Home Builders, argue that increased logging will help make lumber more affordable and boost housing development.
The Source
Information in this story is from Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove, Senior Director of Science and Conservation at Conservation Northwest Dave Werntz, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
2 teens accused of ambush-style killing of 18-year-old in Tacoma, WA
Trump order opens up all WA national forests for logging
Axe-wielding suspect faces multiple charges after arrest in downtown Bremerton
Motorcyclist hopes for justice after Snohomish County crash caught on camera
Effort to ban flavored tobacco products in WA revived in legislature
Seattle man pleads not guilty for child sex abuse material found in dumpsters
77-year-old Seattle man dies after driving off multi-story parking garage
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Associated Press
Maine lawmakers try to thread the needle on forest protections
Late last year a team of ecologists came to a dire conclusion: without new conservation and management initiatives, half of the oldest forests in Maine's unorganized territory could be gone in the next 35 years. A bipartisan bill introduced by state Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) aims to reverse that trend while also protecting Maine's undeveloped lakes and ponds through prescriptive conservation measures. After overcoming initial opposition from state officials and forest industry groups through multiple compromises, the bill was unanimously voted out of committee and approved by the state Senate this week. Although the version of L.D. 1529 the full legislature received is drastically different from what Bennett originally proposed, it now has support from both conservation and forestry groups. In Bennett's original draft, agencies under the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry would have been tasked with prioritizing the acquisition of mature forest stands for conservation and placing dozens of undeveloped ponds and lakes into a new management classification, further shielding them from development. By instructing the Land for Maine's Future Board — the state entity that funds conservation land acquisitions — to place parcels with mature tree stands at the top of its acquisition list, Bennett said his original bill would have provided protective actions without regulatory processes. The bill also included measures to promote the study of Maine's oldest forests, intended to spur new conservation strategies down the line and entrench late-successional, old-growth forests at the center of forest management plans. And the bill went beyond forest protections. Bennett also included a provision directing the Land Use Planning Commission, which oversees Maine's unorganized territory, to reassign undeveloped lakes and ponds to a more protective class that limits development near shorelines. Such proposals won approval from conservationists and environmental nonprofits across Maine, but drew criticism from DACF officials and forestry groups like the Maine Forest Products Council. DACF official Judy East testified that the proposals were developed without input from key stakeholders and would be a costly addition to the department's already heavy workload. Similar criticism arose from the Maine Forest Products Council, a trade group representing landowners, loggers, truckers, paper mills and foresters across the state. In his testimony, MFPC Executive Director Patrick Strauch wrote that L.D. 1529 'establishes predetermined outcomes for forest stands on private land without any consultation with the landowner community.' Instead of jumping forward to land acquisition policies and reclassifying Maine lakes, Strauch said the state should first work with stakeholders to determine how and where to conserve older forests and lakes while acknowledging the multiple uses, like recreation and timber production, that state management plans allow for. John Hagan, who co-authored the 2024 report from environmental nonprofit Our Climate Future that surveyed the state's unorganized territory, encouraged both sides to come to the table the same way they did to support his team's mapping project. 'I hope we can all come together, work together, support this bill, and come up with a practical plan to conserve (late-successional or old-growth) forest before it's gone and the question of saving it becomes moot,' Hagan wrote in his testimony. Ultimately, both sides did. The amendments added across two committee work sessions removed more immediate, sweeping development restrictions but maintained and fine-tuned instructions for state agencies to study and incorporate forest and lake protections in long-term management plans, all for an estimated cost of $75,000. Instead of reclassifying undeveloped Maine ponds and lakes in the near future, the new version now instructs the Maine Land Use Planning Commission to evaluate the decades-old Lake Management Program and determine whether reclassification is needed. It also instructs the state Bureau of Forestry to conduct research that follows the work done by Our Climate Future and sets a 2026 deadline for the DACF to compile statewide strategies to enhance its conservation. The end result is a bill that the Maine Forest Products Council and environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Council of Maine both support. 'Mainers recognize that these are really unique resources that we have,' said Luke Frankel, director of NRCM's Woods, Waters, and Wildlife Division, and the bill is 'a promising path forward to protecting older growth forests.' ___ This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
E&E News
3 days ago
- E&E News
House panel approves deep USDA spending cuts
A House Appropriations panel approved a $25.5 billion spending plan for agriculture Thursday that would slash climate-related programs while boosting efforts against animal and plant diseases. 'Times have changed at the Department of Agriculture,' said Agriculture Subcommittee Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) as the panel took up the bill for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The vote was 9 to 7, along partisan lines, with the full Appropriations Committee ranking Democrat, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, participating and voting 'no.' Advertisement The measure, which next moves to the full Appropriations Committee, represents an overall 4.2 percent reduction from this year's discretionary spending level for the Department of Agriculture and related agencies, the Republican majority said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Doritos and Skittles could carry ‘not recommended for human consumption' warning labels in certain parts of the US
Some of America's favorite snacks may be banned in certain parts of the U.S. if the packaging does not warn about certain ingredients. New legislation in Texas would warn consumers in the state about ingredients that are 'not recommended for human consumption' in other countries, but still allowed in the U.S., Bloomberg reported. More than 40 ingredients, from synthetic food dyes to bleached flour, would require warning labels on the products' packaging starting in 2027, if the bill is signed into law. The legislation would affect snacks and candies such as Nacho Cheese Doritos, Little Bites Chocolate Chip Muffins, Skittles, M&Ms and Sour Patch Kids Watermelon, as well as breakfast cereals and sodas such as Froot Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Mountain Dew. If the bill is signed by Governor Greg Abbott, it would affect snacks sold statewide. This could also open the door for a nationwide switch-up. Bloomberg reported that companies forced to comply with state regulations often chose to roll out changes across the whole country to streamline production. Abbott has less than 20 days to sign the bill, and it's unclear whether he will. His press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Bloomberg before the bill was sent to the governor: 'Abbott will continue to work with the legislature to ensure Texans have access to healthy foods to care for themselves and their families and will thoughtfully review any legislation they send to his desk.' If the bill is signed into law, there are instances when the state-mandated labeling won't be required: if the Food and Drug Administration or Department of Agriculture deems an ingredient safe, restricts its use or bans it after September 1. Industry groups and companies, including food and drink makers and retail giant Walmart, had sent a letter to Texas lawmakers 'in strong opposition' to the bill. 'As it's written, the food labeling provision in this bill casts an incredibly wide net — triggering warning labels on everyday grocery items based on assertions that foreign governments have banned such items, rather than on standards established by Texas regulators or by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,' read the letter, which had circulated on social media. The letter warned that this potential change 'could destabilize local and regional economies at a time when businesses are already fighting to keep prices down, maintain inventory, and avoid layoffs.' If the bill did get signed into law, it would be a win for not only Texas lawmakers but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of certain chemicals in food like synthetic dyes. Supporters of the Texas bill have claimed that Kennedy backs the legislation, Bloomberg reported. According to the outlet, Texas Representative Lacey Hull claimed she received a call from the HHS secretary when it passed.
