We led a field tour with congressional staff and representatives from several groups to demonstrate the need for forest and watershed restoration in the Central Cascades. BY Laurel Baum, Central Cascades Conservation Associate The Central Cascades, spanning from the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to Mount Rainier National Park, is a beautiful landscape that includes important habitat … Continued
From limiting public input on forest restoration to complicating fisher releases, the government shutdown is affecting important local conservation efforts. By Chase Gunnell, communications director As the impasse in the other Washington drags on, there are a few notable examples of the federal government’s shutdown impacting Conservation Northwest’s work for local wildlife, wildlands and rural … Continued
We’re part of a new collaborative effort to restore forest health near Lake Wenatchee and reduce wildfire risks for nearby communities. By Jen Watkins, conservation associate A flagship effort since Conservation Northwest’s founding, for thirty years our Forest Field Program has used science and collaboration to promote the restoration of wildlands in Washington and beyond. We … Continued
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
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
Through the new Washington Public Lands Defense Network and partnerships with national allies, we’re standing strong to protect public lands. By Heather Hutchison, Public Lands Defense Organizer When the Trump Administration and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke opened a “review” of more than two dozen national monuments, including Washington’s Hanford Reach, Americans were shocked. … 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
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
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
Mitch Friedman, our executive director, was in Washington, D.C. today testifying before congress on the need to better manage forests for ecological resilience; reducing the risks from wildfire, benefiting local communities, and improving wildlife habitat. And how we’ve been able to do so collaboratively as part of the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition. Watch the archived video from the U.S. House … Continued