DNR appeals ruling that it must account for climate change in individual timber sales

EVERETT – The Washington Department of Natural Resources argued its appeal on Oct. 31, challenging a 2024 King County court decision that the agency must evaluate climate impacts for each timber sale under the State Environmental Policy Act. The decision built upon an earlier Jefferson County case that reached the same conclusion, setting up a broader legal test for how the state agency accounts for climate effects in its forest management.

The appeal questions the priorities of newly appointed Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove, since he supported the very policy the state’s attorney spoke against when his predecessor, Hilary Franz, was in office.

The decision, which is not expected for several months, will determine if the agency can continue with business as usual or have to update protocols to address climate impacts on a sale-by-sale basis.

‘Sequester more carbon than any other forest’

Last month’s arguments covered a 2024 court ruling on the proposed Wishbone Timber Sale — a 100-acre area home to 80- to 110-year-old trees in the Tolt and Snoqualmie River basins.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/dnr-appeals-ruling-that-it-must-account-for-climate-change-in-individual-timber-sales/