Washington Sets Aside 2,000 Acres of State Forest Land for Conservation

Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announced on Monday a proposal to conserve some 2,000 acres of state forest land, The Seattle Times reported (12-19-23). The announcement came shortly after the final auction in the first year of the state’s carbon-pricing market, which makes the state’s largest polluting businesses or institutions pay for the greenhouse gas emissions they release into the atmosphere. The program has raised nearly $2 billion so far.

The proposal includes 69 acres with the Elwha River watershed that were originally part of a controversial timber sale, which has since been canceled.

In an interview with The Seattle Times, Commissioner Frantz said, “The community has raised significant concerns about the Elwha. We have a salmon crisis. That is an area where we have seen unbelievable return of habitat. We’ve seen an unbelievable return of our salmon. … So let’s include it in this 2,000 acres, which was all about ensuring that we had highly ecologically valuable forests.”

Franz called the first 2,000 acres a “down payment.” Adding, “We need more of these solutions, and I’ll be frank: We need to double down.” The agency plans to go back to the legislature and request additional funding to conserve state lands.

Lawmakers earmarked $83 million from the carbon-auction revenue for the state Department of Natural Resources to set aside up to 2,000 acres of Western Washington forests for conservation—and purchase replacement lands that will be available for harvest. The agency worked with counties to identify lands that could best protect fish and wildlife habitat and natural and cultural values. The lands set aside in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties encompass popular hiking areas, salmon, owl, and big cat habitats and will continue to serve as places carbon is absorbed from the air.