The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) raised alarms in a recent news release about a “historic collapse” in Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) timber sales on state trust lands, warning that the decline threatens funding for public schools, libraries, fire districts, rural hospitals and other essential public services.
The collapse also reduces revenue for DNR, the state general fund and school construction, at a time when the Washington Legislature is grappling with another major budget shortfall across state agencies, the council stated in the release.
New DNR auction data show that only 114,391 thousand board feet of timber were sold in Western Washington during the first half of the fiscal year, representing just 25 percent of the agency’s annual target and the lowest mid-year volume in 22 years. Projections indicate the shortfall will continue, with only 34 percent of planned third quarter volume currently scheduled for auction, the release stated.
The management of state trust lands is guided by the Washington Constitution and state and federal law, which require these lands to be actively managed for the benefit of defined trust beneficiaries.
Revenue from sustainable timber harvests supports public schools, libraries, counties, fire districts and other critical community services, while also providing family wage jobs, forest products for local mills, recreation, clean air and clean water and healthy wildlife habitat, according to the release.
“The sharp drop in timber volume has real and immediate consequences for working families and public services,” AFRC President Travis Joseph said. “Reduced harvests mean less revenue flowing to classrooms, emergency services, the state general fund, and rural communities that rely on income from state trust lands.”
The decline also affects DNR itself. The agency depends on management fees from timber sales to pay for its workers and operations. Continued underperformance puts both trust beneficiaries and the agency at financial risk, the news release stated.
Active forest management on trust lands is also one of the most effective tools for reducing the risk of severe wildfire, according to the release. Well-managed forests are more resilient to insects, disease and uncharacteristic fire that threaten both communities and natural resources. Meanwhile, the agency is seeking $60 million from the Legislature to cover growing wildfire preparedness and mitigation costs.
“There is a growing disconnect between DNR’s request for additional wildfire funding and decisions that reduce active management on trust lands that benefit communities, fund agency operations, and reduce fire risk,” Joseph said.
Compounding these concerns is the Commissioner of Public Lands’ decision to remove 77,000 acres of legally operable state trust lands from future harvest, the release stated. Analysis shows this action could result in up to $2 billion in lost revenue to trust beneficiaries, the state and DNR over the next two decades, according to the release. More than 43 percent of the affected acres under the Commissioner of Public Lands’ plan are county trust lands that directly support essential services in rural communities, the council stated.
This decision follows a prolonged pause on legal and policy compliant timber sales involving mature, working forests and comes despite DNR’s own data showing that habitat conservation targets for older forest conditions are already being met or exceeded, the release stated. Reducing the working forest land base even further deepens revenue losses, harms Washington businesses and jobs, shifts costs onto local communities, and increases reliance on imported wood from regions with weaker environmental standards, the council claims.
“We urge state leaders and the Board of Natural Resources to follow the Washington state Supreme Court’s lead and honor DNR’s fiduciary duties to trust beneficiaries and restore a balanced approach to trust land management that supports schools, communities, forest health and wildfire resilience for generations to come,” Joseph said.
