John,

Earlier this fall, we asked you to email the Board of Natural Resources and Commissioner of Public Lands to support the adoption of a more protective strategy for conserving vital habitat for the marbled murrelet in Washington. On December 3rd, the Board voted 4-2 to adopt a long-term strategy for the murrelet, concluding a decades-long process. Unfortunately, the approved plan does not do enough for marbled murrelets or rural communities that receive revenue from timber harvests on state-managed lands.

The Marbled Murrelet Coalition, which includes our partners at Washington Environmental Council, has been directly engaged in this process for years and issued a press release in response to the Board’s decision.

Read the full statement here >>

Becky Kelley, the president of Washington Environmental Council said, “Washingtonians should not be faced with the false choice of reducing vital services for people or causing significant loss of our wildlife heritage. In our prosperous state, our state leaders can and must find solutions that deliver both.”

Governor Inslee’s representative on the Board of Natural Resources voted against the proposal, citing the Governor’s concerns about the plan not being protective enough in the face of climate change.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal also expressed the need for big-picture thinking about the future of public forest management because of climate change and shifting needs for revenue from timber harvests.

Threats to the heath and resilience of our natural resources will only increase as the climate crisis worsens. Decisions on how to manage these public resources are becoming more and more consequential, and have significant implications for imperiled species, future generations of Washingtonians, and the resources that will be available to them.

See the full statement on WEC's website >>

Thank you for your continued engagement,

Sally Paul
Evergreen Forests Program Associate