Comment: County should join effort to save mature forests
Published 1:30 am Saturday, October 7, 2023
By Brel Froebe and Karen Crowley / For The Herald
A recent guest commentary raised the important question of how we use legacy — or mature — forests in Washington state.
The Snohomish County Council is considering whether to request that a small number of these forests be preserved in our county. We say yes. Here’s why:
A mature or legacy forest is Washington’s best natural climate solution. In its most recent session, the state Legislature affirmed the carbon storage benefits of mature “structurally complex” forests as part of the state’s Climate Commitment Act. In fact, the Legislature allocated money to permanently conserve 2,000 acres of these forests across our state. The simple fact is this: Mature trees are carbon workhorses. They store and capture more carbon than younger forests each year and hold that carbon for decades; even centuries.
And there are more benefits. Mature forests protect salmon populations by cooling streams and enhancing instream flow in the summer, two of the most critical factors for salmon survival in the face of climate change. They provide forest habitat for sensitive species above and below ground that depend on big trees and diverse plant species that aren’t found in young plantations. Mature forests are more wildfire resistant than plantation forests. And they combat erosion and landslides caused by winter flooding.
In August, County Executive Dave Somers wrote a letter to Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, expressing his interest in having a small number of acres of Snohomish County mature forests preserved as part of the state program. However, the nomination of specific mature forest land must come from the County Council. We urge the cuncil to join other counties across the state in working to preserve these mature forests.
It’s a question of balance:
Short-term benefit versus long-term gain? It’s a classic question. The Legislature has provided a tool to address this very question. The county can acquire replacement land and regain any revenue lost from the preservation of these forests.
We seek to maintain or expand the state trust land base with new land managed as working forests. We advocate for climate-smart forest management on replacement lands for more carbon sequestration and timber production. And finally, we support compensation to trust land beneficiaries to ensure essential local services are maintained.
Mature forests should not be cut to meet the rising global demand for wood products. That demand could partially be met by increasing wood production in already existing plantation forests.
What about rural counties? Rural counties that have relied on logging revenues from trust lands for essential public services must no longer be ignored. The state must develop new revenue sources and approaches to help fund the important services provided by rural counties and their junior taxing districts (e.g., hospitals and fire). The climate benefits from intact forests accrue to the public broadly, so it is appropriate that the public pay to keep the forests intact. It is also in the broad public interest to address the need for new forms of economic development in many rural communities. There is abundant skilled work in sustainable forest harvesting and restoration. The Legislature can develop and fund a Rural Community Development Investment Plan. The governor can work with rural counties, the Legislature, and U.S. Congress to begin this transition.
There is a window of opportunity here, but it is very short. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz will submit a preliminary list of forestland to be preserved by Dec. 31. No Snohomish County forests are currently included on the list. Mature forests are a true gift to future generations. We can give that gift. We urge the County Council to take action.
Brel Froebe is the interim executive director of the Center for Responsible Forestry. CRF works in partnership with local communities, policymakers and other conservation organizations to accelerate the adoption of a state mature forest policy with practices grounded in forest ecology and sustainability.
Karen Crowley is the president of the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County, a nonpartisan grass-roots organization committed to fostering an informed electorate and promoting informed civic participation.
