Washington State to Conserve 77,000 Acres of Older Forests on State Lands

The Washington Department of Natural Resources will set aside 77,000 acres (31,200 hectares) of older forests for conservation, the Washington State Standard reported (8-26-25). The decision follows Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove’s move eight months ago to pause logging sales in older forests.

The department refers to the areas as “structurally complex forests,” while some conservationists call them “legacy forests.” Although not old enough to qualify as old growth, these stands are biologically diverse and naturally resistant to wildfire.

Under the plan, 29,000 acres (11,700 hectares) will remain available for harvest, and most of the two dozen timber sales paused earlier will now proceed.

Upthegrove called the initiative Washington’s “biggest step forward in forest conservation in a generation.” He added, “Doing this will allow us to continue to nurture and steward these forests, but in innovative and diverse ways that do more for climate, more for habitat, and more for the communities we serve.”