Working forests in Washington are managed by landowners who make sustainability a priority. With smart management, our working forests can last forever.

A new story in the Seattle Times has more:

The 12- to 18-month cycle from harvest to replanting (in Washington) is significantly quicker than the 36-month time frame (that) Washington state’s Forest Practice Act requires. This promotes faster tree growth so landowners can produce the products that we all use every day. Each year, forest landowners plant more than 52 million tree seedlings in harvested areas.

Forest stewardship in Washington is hard work that requires long-term planning and scientific research.

While growing trees may seem straightforward at first glance, sustainable forestry practices are actually very complex and require patience, foresight and maintaining close attention to the entire landscape – not only the trees growing on it. In addition to taking inventory of mature timber and growing stock, identifying stands and putting infrastructure in place, foresters also adhere to strict forest practice rules, regulations and best management practices.

…Current forestry practices utilize science-based research to continually improve the management process. Foresters employ a variety of scientists, including hydrologists, wildlife biologists, geomorphologists and dendrologists. These are experts in a range of disciplines — silviculture, wildlife, soils, geology, disease, tree physiology — as well as in all aspects of forest management and harvesting.

Sustainable forestry isn’t just about good stewardship; it’s about making the world a better place for future generations.

Furthering our knowledge of sustainable and responsible forestry practices is critical, now more than ever. Because forests and wood products are pivotal in reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, sustainable forestry which produces wood products that store carbon will be a pivotal strategy in reducing global warming.