It’s an exciting time for cross-laminated timber in Washington. There are the 20 state-funded classrooms being built with CLT in the Sequim, Seattle, Mount Vernon, Wapato and Toppenish public school districts. Then there is the new mass timber manufacturing company from Vaagen Brothers in Colville called Vaagen Timbers, which will be the first CLT manufacturer in Washington. Now comes word … Read More

We last wrote about the prospect of federal timber reform in December of last year, when Congress was focused on ending the practice of “fire borrowing,” which is when the U.S. Forest Service raids its own budget to fight massive wildfires. Just this month, the Vancouver Columbian editorialized in favor of the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, a bill that would … Read More

The Spokane Spokesman Review has a great feature story this week on Duane Vaagen and his family business Vaagen Brothers Lumber. The company in Colville in Northeast Washington has roots going back to the 1930s, with the company formally starting in the 1950s. The Vaagen family is not just a leading timber company, but is a leader in the timber issues of the day. For instance, … Read More

Newly elected Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz just announced the Rural Communities Partnership Initiative, a new program that will partner the Department of Natural Resources with rural communities on development projects. The initiative focuses on stimulating local economies in sustainable, clean ways. From innovative farming methods to forest restoration to recreation to clean energy, no prospective project is too … Read More

It’s always good to see a spirit of collaboration in the forest. The Yakima Herald-Republic this week wrote about a new project from the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative, a partnership of the state Department of Natural Resources, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the Yakama Nation and The Nature Conservancy. The Herald-Republic wrote a news … Read More

Recognition continues to grow for the critical role that Washington forest landowners play in helping improve salmon migration. This spring the Washington Legislature unanimously approved a bill that eases the permitting process for forest owners to clear fish passage barriers and help salmon. Then last month, the Washington state departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources honored 43 … Read More

AgForestry Press Release — Mark Doumit was honored as the recipient of the 2017 Stu Bledsoe Leadership Award by members of Leadership Class 38 of the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation Leadership Program (AgForestry) at their graduation ceremony in Spokane on April 28, 2017. The Stu Bledsoe Leadership Award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant … Read More

In 1985, the Washington Forest Protection Association, in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, founded what has gone on to become one of the most innovative and effective programs in the world to prevent black bears from damaging healthy trees. The program is compliant with all laws and regulations and is a partnership with the Department of … Read More

The forestry industry has launched a new effort to promote forests and the people who work in them. Walk in the Woods includes a detailed website, a series of videos and social media channels. Colin Moseley, chairman of Seattle’s Green Diamond Resources, was one of the leaders of the effort as chairman of the North American Forest Partnership. Members of … Read More

We’ve written a couple times about a bill in the Legislature this year that will make it easier for forest owners to help salmon, and that’s because it’s a critical piece of legislation. And now the bill is state law. Gov. Inslee signed the bill on Monday. The legislation streamlines the regulatory process for Road Maintenance and Abandonment Plans (RMAP) … Read More