WFPA - Washington Forest Protection Association

For thousands of years, before European settlers arrived, Washington's forests were a diverse landscape, composed of large openings, dense young forests, and old growth, each continually altered by natural disturbances and re-growth. This variety of forest structure allowed for the development and evolution of the animal and plant species we see in Washington today. Private forest landowners collaborate with their neighbors, public agencies and Native American tribes to support balanced environmental solutions for preserving old-growth forests, protecting endangered species and maintaining biodiversity while managing their private forests to grow the wood products for a sustainable society.

Second, Third-Growth Trees Thrive in Our
Private Forests

The private lands of WFPA's members support second and third-growth forests - the result of an investment made over the past 60-70 years to reforest harvested areas with new trees. The American Tree Farm Program was started in the early 1940s to promote replanting and to introduce the public to sustainable forestry. America's first Tree Farm was designated in McCleary, Washington in 1941.

With the introduction of reforestation in the mid-20th century, nearly all the harvested logs that go to market today are from second- or third-growth trees. The growth and harvest renewal cycle allows foresters to maintain a sustainable supply of forest products over time. This commitment to the land has long ago replaced the early 20th Century philosophy of harvesting the forest that nature had provided, and moving. Responsible forest practices will provide a stable supply of wood without over-harvesting Washington's forests.

Protecting Washington's Old-Growth Forests

Old-growth forests are an important link to our state's past. Several hundred years old, these forests can be characterized by their mixed age of trees, the number of canopy layers, the composition of woody debris and soil on the forest floor and the specialized plant and animal species living there. Actually, very little old growth is found on private forestland. In the Pacific Northwest, nearly all of old-growth forests lie within federal lands where logging has been strictly limited due to federal protection for the Northern Spotted Owl and an emphasis on old forest ecosystem protection.

In fact, federal forest plans call for restoration efforts to grow the current 8.5 million acres of old growth in the Pacific Northwest to more than 12 million acres. Over time this will enhance the environmentally rich habitat set aside for old growth dependent communities of plants and wildlife to prosper. In recent years to further protect our state's old-growth forests, private forest owners have sold, exchanged or donated old-growth tracts on their lands to put these lands in public ownership.