Tuesday, August 26th, 2025
Contact:
Ben Avery, Sierra Club Washington State, ben.avery@sierraclub.org, 509-289-2436
Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove announces plan to conserve 77,000 acres of structurally complex forests.
Seattle, WA — Sierra Club Washington State joins its partners in the environmental community in celebrating the announcement from the Department of Natural Resources and State Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove to conserve 77,000 acres of mature, legacy forests across the state – fulfilling Upthegrove’s campaign promise to do just that.
These forests are our best protection against the ongoing climate crisis. These spaces purify our air by storing and removing carbon from the atmosphere and filter our drinking water through layers of soil, sand, rock, and other natural materials.
“Sierra Club Washington State commends Commissioner Upthegrove for his leadership. With advocates building momentum on the ground, and DNR’s ‘timeout’ to make a deliberate, data-based decision, we are at the forefront of a new approach to conservation here in Washington. While gross attacks on public lands continue from the Trump administration, it’s uplifting to see our state harness the cultural, recreational and climate benefits of preserving our last great forests.” said Ben Avery, Director of the Sierra Club’s Washington State Chapter.
The announcement comes six months after Commissioner Upthegrove’s initial “timeout” on harvesting older state forests to develop criteria for conserving older, structurally complex forests – and the work is just beginning to ensure ecological forest management is at the forefront of these conservation efforts and the rest of DNR’s 2 million acres of state trust lands.
“Today’s announcement is the result of years of advocacy from communities that recognize that mature, structurally complex forests are more valuable to our cultural heritage and climate future than whatever timber products may result from unsustainable logging and clear cuts,” said Margie Van Cleve, Chair, Conservation Committee, Sierra Club Washington State.
This represents a significant step towards meeting Sierra Club’s conservation goals and prioritizing preservation over extraction and separating public school and rural county services funding from timber sales, as DNR explores carbon markets and other innovative approaches to managing these lands and creating value.
With an ongoing climate crisis, Sierra Club Washington State is excited to work collaboratively with Commissioner Upthegrove and DNR in moving away from unsustainable logging practices and clear cuts for these mature forests and other state trust lands, and towards a future of continuing to protect our most culturally significant and climate-mitigating forests in our beautiful state.