WA public lands chief seeks new revenue as timber policy faces scrutiny
Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove defended his decision to pause some timber sales and said he will seek 2026 legislation to diversify revenue from state trust lands, arguing the state can “do more for climate and habitat while providing stability.”
In an interview on TVW’s “Inside Olympia,” Upthegrove told host Austin Jenkins that his halt on harvesting in older, “structurally complex forests” — those that have some but not all the characteristics of “old-growth”— began as a six-month hold for restoration and protection. It was intended to refresh inventory data and gather input from tribes, industry, school districts and counties.
All but four of the 24 paused sales in such forests have been lifted. Three timber sales in the Elwha River watershed remain on hold as a condition of a budget provision requiring a study of whether conserving the surrounding forests could enhance ecosystem recovery from a dam removal before any logging can resume. A fourth sale in Kitsap County will remain paused at the county’s request as it seeks funding to purchase the sale area for conservation and recreation.
As most of the pause lifted in August, Upthegrove directed preservation of 77,000 acres while allowing logging on about 29,000 acres, a split he called a “sweet spot” to limit near-term fiscal impacts while testing new approaches. “These lands don’t belong to industry. They belong to we, the people,” he said, adding his duty is to manage in the public interest while meeting constitutional trust obligations.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/12/wa-public-lands-chief-seeks-new-revenue-as-timber-policy-faces-scrutiny/