The revised Plan recommends wilderness protections for only three areas, leaving most quality lands without permanent protection. By Tiana Luke, CONSERVATION ASSOCIATE, COLVILLE FOREST FIELD STAFF Last week, the Colville National Forest released its Revised Forest Plan after 15 years of work to update the guidelines by which our public lands are managed for wilderness, wildlife, … Continued
Finding common-ground on the Mission Project in north-central Washington By George Wooten, Conservation Associate and Okanogan Forest Field Staff In the Methow Valley, a forest project is moving ahead with conservation guidelines, benefits for both forest health and local economies, and our support thanks to common-ground reached through collaboration. My personal involvement in the landscape … Continued
An update on the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition from our Forest Field Program. BY TIANA LUKE, CONSERVATION ASSOCIATE and COLVILLE FOREST FIELD STAFF While divisiveness grows rampant in many parts of the world, there’s still a place in the northeastern corner of Washington state where those of different viewpoints work together to promote each other’s … Continued
Perspective on the 2017 fire season from Dave Werntz, our Science and Conservation Director, who works out of our Twisp field office. Research shows that fire suppression and old-growth logging have transformed our fire-prone forests, increasing the risk of uncharacteristic fire events, especially under a changing climate. A combined approach of strategic thinning and prescribed … Continued
Update on Colville National Forest Plan BY TIANA LUKE, CONSERVATION ASSOCIATE and COLVILLE FOREST FIELD STAFF The current Forest Plan on the Colville National Forest has been in place just a year longer than Conservation Northwest has been “Keeping the Northwest wild”, and we’ve been actively involved in its update from the beginning. National Forests … Continued
Editor’s Note: During the intense wildfire season of August and September 2015, we published a series of Dispatches from staff and colleagues that live or work in the areas impacted by the fires. Dispatch #12 and links to the full series can be found here. By Jen Watkins, Conservation Associate On November 9th I attended the Wildfires & Us … Continued
Editor’s Note: This is the twelfth of our fire dispatches from staff and colleagues that live or work in the areas impacted by this year’s fires. A forest ecologist, Dave Werntz lives and works in the Methow Valley community of Twisp. For more information on this issue, please contact dwerntz (at) conservationnw.org By Dave Werntz, Science and Conservation Director … Continued
For more than two decades, the Forest Field Program has advocated for sustainable and ecologically sound management of public forests in the Pacific Northwest. By Mikey Jane Moran, Communications Intern In the dry forests of Eastern Washington, ponderosas rise in thick spires like sentry’s looking over the countryside. In the understory, thick brush and a tangle … Continued
By Dave Werntz, Science and Conservation Director It’s true. As stated in today’s Op-Ed in The New York Times (More Logging Won’t Stop Wildfires by Chad T. Hanson and Dominick A. DellaSala), Wyoming Senator John Barrasso’s legislation to mandate a four-fold increase in federal forest logging won’t stop wildfires, improve conditions for wildlife, or address the legacy of old-growth … Continued
WILD NW action alert #247: June 11th meeting for input on the Northwest Forest Plan Can you attend a meeting at the Okanogan PUD tomorrow, June 11th from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. to support Washington’s public forests? The U.S. Forest Service is beginning a public conversation on updating the Northwest Forest Plan. This comprehensive plan … Continued