Dear John,
 
Though the road is long and winding, we're getting ever closer to historic protections for salmon streams, wildlife habitat, mature forests, and clean water in our Western State Forests. 
 
Thanks to you and the power of your voice demanding the strongest Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) possible, this past July, the Department of Forestry (ODF) began implementing many of the protections in the State Forest HCP that we’ve been supporting for the past two years. It’s clear that ODF is anticipating and preparing for the final federal approval of the HCP in late 2024. 
 
That’s great news, but we haven’t won yet and with the Board of Forestry meeting on January 3rd it’s imperative that we speak up for strong habitat protections—louder than the logging industry that still wants ODF to scrap this plan completely.

Earlier this month, the Department of Forestry issued new logging estimates for the 70-year lifespan of the HCP. Under the revised estimates, logging will be reduced to more sustainable levels compared to the past 20 years of excessive logging of state forests. This is needed to restore balanced management on our state forests. But the logging industry and their political allies are using this information to try and derail the HCP process.
 
Can you speak up today in support of passing the HCP as it stands: a plan that strikes the best possible balance between logging and the many other critical values that Western State Forests provide to people and wildlife?

This won’t be the last time we’ll need to speak up for strong habitat protections and conservation. The HCP is still at least one year away from federal approval. We’ll need to keep the pressure high or risk losing the progress we’ve made. The current HCP is a big gain for conserving crucial habitat for threatened and endangered species (such as salmon, and the marbled murrelet), and there are additional ways that we can further improve management of state forests:
 

• We must provide larger protective buffers on headwater streams. A recent peer-reviewed study on the Trask River supports HCP Alternative 3 with larger protective buffers on small streams; and
• We need to modernize the antiquated law that couples state forest timber revenue with funding for the counties: counties deserve more stable funding for local services.  

We know there's more work to do, and we’re working hard to gain more ground in the coming months. But right now, the Board of Forestry needs to hear loud and clear that we want them to keep the HCP on track.
 
The logging industry won’t be satisfied until our state forests are managed like private industrial forests. And delay and derailment tactics are its specialty. For the sake of our remaining mature state forests and the clean drinking water and healthy fish and wildlife habitat they provide, let's keep this legacy plan on track. Please tell the Board of Forestry to finalize a strong HCP without delay!

Thank you,

Julia DeGraw
Coalition Director, OLCV