Beneficiaries of Washington state trust lands urged the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) to follow the State Supreme Court’s opinion in Conservation Northwest v. Commissioner of Public Lands and meet its obligations to continue managing these working forests to fund critical public services. Representatives of the beneficiary community sent a letter to the BNR as […]
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Oregon’s Rum Creek Fire Reveals Risks of New Wilderness Proposals
As of this writing, the Rum Creek Fire in southwest Oregon has burned nearly 12,000 acres along the iconic Rogue River northwest of Grants Pass. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared an emergency as “Level 3 – Go Now” evacuations are in place for homes near the rural communities of Rand and Galice. The fire […]
August 2022 Newsletter
AFRC Submits Comments on Federal Old Growth and Mature Forests The AFRC Podcast: FFRC’s Bill Imbergamo- Defining “Old Growth” when our forests are burning Oregon’s Rum Creek Fire Reveals Risks of New Wilderness Proposals Washington DC Update Inflation Reduction Act Washington Primary Election Results McMorris Rogers and Westerman Visit Northeast Washington DTO Report: Build-up of […]
Background and Message Points for Federal Old Growth Definition and Inventory
Request for Information: Federal Old-Growth and Mature Forests The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are seeking public input to define and inventory “old-growth and mature forests” on federal lands in their first step toward complying with President Biden’s 2022 Earth Day executive order that identified “climate impacts, catastrophic wildfires, insect […]
July 2022 Newsletter
Washington DC Update Appropriations U.S. Senate ENR Committee Mark-Up Cottonwood River Democracy Act Root and Stem Project Authorization Act DeFazio Rogue Wilderness, National Recreation Area Legislation Must Read: Why timber is essential to the Biden Administration’s wildfire strategy The AFRC Podcast: Kent Duysen- Saving Our Sequoias and Southern Sierra Forests Forest Service, BLM Respond to […]
MYTH vs. FACT: Washington State Supreme Court Affirms DNR Trust Mandate
On July 21, 2022, the Washington State Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Conservation Northwest v. Franz affirming the trust mandate that applies to Department of Natural Resources (DNR) state trust lands. This is a major legal victory for DNR, public schools, counties, and many other community service providers, and the forest products sector. […]
Washington State Supreme Court Affirms DNR Management of State Trust Forest Lands
The American Forest Resource Council today joined beneficiaries of Washington state trust lands in applauding the Washington State Supreme Court’s opinion in Conservation Northwest v. Hilary Franz, a case where Conservation Northwest attempted to undermine the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) fiduciary duty to manage these working forests, known as state trust lands. The […]
AFRC Responds to ‘Climate Forests Campaign’ Report
AFRC has the following to say regarding a report by the “Climate Forests Campaign,” an anti-forestry effort to halt forest management throughout the nation: Old and mature trees are not “worth more standing” if they are dead and emitting carbon. This “report” by anti-forestry lobbyists was released at the same time firefighters are working […]
Why timber is essential to the Biden Administration’s wildfire strategy
By Travis Joseph, AFRC President The Forest Service and BLM timber sale programs are essential to preserving and growing the physical and human forest infrastructure that is not only critical to providing carbon-friendly wood products to meet society’s needs but is essential to helping the Forest Service and BLM accomplish their respective federal forest management […]
June 2022 Newsletter
Telling Your Story – We are all in this Together The AFRC Podcast: 100 years of Freres, Innovation and Sustainability Washington DC Update Secretary Vilsack issues Secretarial Memorandum Forest Service budget hearing DeFazio Wild Rogue legislation receives hearing PERC Report: Red tape is making wildfires worse 2021 Eastside Screens Amendment Challenged Ninth Circuit Denies Rehearing […]