environment
-
Elbe State Forest: Cutover forest lands to lush productive forests
In the early 1900s, forest harvesting practices left large tracts of eastern Pierce County barren. Planting new trees and future harvesting were not considered back then. In addition, wildfires swept through the landscape. The state Department of Forestry—a predecessor of… Continue reading
-
Western purple martins are better off thanks to high school senior projects!
High school students in Olympia are helping DNR and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) get a better understanding how to keep the western purple martin a common sight across the Puget Sound region. That knowledge also… Continue reading
-
DNR holds public forum about Reiter Foothills Forest; temporary closure starts Nov. 2
More than 240 people turned out last night (Oct. 22) in Monroe for a public forum to discuss DNR’s temporary closure of Reiter Foothills Forest. The temporary closure starts Nov. 2, but people will be allowed in on foot. The closure… Continue reading
-
DNR looks to ‘green certification’ of forestland
An article in today’s Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce mentions the “green certification” that DNR earned for its management of about 145,000 acres of forestland. The certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) essentially tripled the amount of FSC-certified acres… Continue reading
-
An aquatic restoration success
Good news for once about efforts to restore once-polluted waters and tidelands. The Olympian reports that about 1,000 acres of shellfish tidelands near the mouth of the Nisqually River are about to receive a clean bill of health for year-round harvest.… Continue reading
-
Derelict vessels pollute waterways
A big thanks to KOMO 4 News and the Seattle PI for yesterday’s news video and article about the many derelict vessels littering and, in several cases, polluting our state’s waterways. DNR administers the state’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program, and works with… Continue reading
-
Goldmark outlines DNR’s sustainable energy approach in Vancouver (WA) visit
Earlier this week, state Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark discussed the prospects for state lands to tap into new markets for wind power and forest-based biomass fuel production. Yesterday’s issue of The Columbian in Vancouver, Washington, describes Goldmark’s meeting with… Continue reading
-
PBS focuses on Washington’s forest health and wildfires
The NewsHour on PBS last week (Sept. 2) examined how declining forest health, changing climate, past fire management practices, and other factors affect Washington’s forests. Several Okanogan County residents were interviewed. Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark (also an Okanogan… Continue reading
-
Help rehab and brush trails in Capitol Forest this Saturday
Want to get outside this weekend and do some good? Meet new people? Have fun? DNR and the Friend of Capitol Forest (FOCF) are looking for volunteers for their first-Saturday-of-the-month work party in Capitol State Forest starting at 9 a.m.,… Continue reading
-
Forestland purchase aimed at slowing forestland conversion
Tuesday, the state’s Board of Natural Resources approved a $6.6 million purchase of 2,309 acres of forestland from Rayonier, an international forest products company. The mostly forested tract is in central Lewis County, about 3 miles south of Mossyrock. The acquisition… Continue reading