A new story from the Associated Press explores the critical role that Northwest companies are playing in the rise of cross-laminated timber in the U.S. The story is also notable because since it was produced by the Associated Press wire service, the article has been published in newspapers all over the country, helping to spread the word about the benefits … Read More

Given the towering evergreens of the Northwest, it’s not a surprise that trees from this region would often be chosen to serve as the official Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. But it’s still a thrill to see the trees make their way across the country and eventually stand in lights at the U.S. Capitol for the whole country to … Read More

The fisher, a large member of the weasel, mink and otter family, has returned to Washington in recent years after disappearing in the mid-1900s because of overtrapping and loss of habitat. The revival of the fisher is because of efforts by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other leaders to reintroduce the … Read More

For several years now we’ve followed the efforts in Congress to pass federal timber reform. None of those efforts have proved successful so far, but more recently there was hope on the horizon that Congress may approve at least one measure that would have provided more money for wildfire prevention. There appeared to be bipartisan momentum to end the practice … Read More

Mark Doumit, the Executive Director of the Washington Forest Protection Association, and Bill Taylor, President of Taylor Shellfish, wrote in an Everett Herald op-ed last year about the importance of teaching children about working outdoors and in natural resources industries. It’s heartening to see school districts, state lawmakers and nonprofits like Washington STEM show strong support for improving education in … Read More

Airplane fuel made from wood? We’ve been following the story closely over several years, including this post last year, and so we are especially happy to report that it happened: an Alaska Airlines flight last week became the first commercial flight to ever run on wood. An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Washington, D.C., on Monday morning was powered … Read More

Collaboration and the concerns of rural communities were top of mind this week at the 108th annual meeting of the Washington Forest Protection Association in Olympia on Nov. 16. The election of Donald Trump as president shined a spotlight on the needs of residents who live in smaller communities outside large cities, several participants said, and Washington state government’s continued … Read More

Washington Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark is leaving office in January after announcing earlier this year that he wouldn’t run for re-election. His eight years in office managing 5.6 million acres of public lands gives him a unique and valuable perspective on the state of Washington’s public forests. He will speak at next week’s WFPA Annual Meeting, and he sat … Read More

Vaagen Brothers Lumber is the largest private employer in Northeast Washington and a national leader in forest collaboration. The company is also an innovator in the use of media to promote the company’s operations, active forest management and the power of collaboration. Company Vice President Russ Vaagen has an active blog, and Vaagen Brothers has also posted a large number … Read More

Congress is currently considering legislation that would legally confirm woody biomass as carbon neutral, a move that would be a huge boost for the Washington forestry industry, for forest health and for rural communities. Dean Rudolf, vice chairman and Western Region director of the Pulp & Paperworkers’ Resource Council, wrote this month in the Spokane Spokesman-Review about the benefits of … Read More