Washington Just Protected 77,000 Acres of Ancient Forests for Future Generations

Nearly Century-Old Forests Get Protection

On August 26, 2025, Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove stood in Tiger Mountain State Forest near Issaquah and signed an order protecting 77,000 acres of forest across western Washington.

These aren’t old growth forests yet, but they’re getting close. Logged between the 1920s and World War II, they’ve spent the last 80 to 150 years growing back naturally.

Now they’re dense, diverse, and full of life, and the state just took them off the logging rotation to let them finish what they started.

They Were Logged Before World War II

The protected forests were cut down before chainsaws became standard. Loggers used hand saws and steam donkeys to haul timber out.

After the cuts, the forests regenerated on their own without replanting. No herbicides, no monoculture rows.

Trees came back in mixed ages and species. Douglas firs grew alongside western hemlocks, red cedars, and broadleaf maples.

The understory filled in with ferns, salal, and Oregon grape. Over decades, the forests developed complexity that planted tree farms never get.

Gaps Let Light Reach the Forest Floor

Washington calls these structurally complex forests. The name comes from what you see when you walk through them.

The canopy has gaps where old trees fell or died. Sunlight reaches the ground and feeds diverse plants below.

Small trees grow in the shade of big ones. Standing dead trees provide habitat for woodpeckers and cavity-nesting birds.

Fallen logs rot slowly and nurse new seedlings.

The forests look messy compared to tree plantations, but that messiness supports spotted owls, marbled murrelets, salmon, and salamanders.

Upthegrove Got Scientists To Map 106,000 Acres

When Upthegrove took office in January 2025, he paused timber sales and ordered a forest inventory.

State foresters, data scientists, and forest ecologists built a computer model using satellite data and field observations.

They made 2,000 field visits to verify what the model showed. By June, they had identified 106,000 acres of structurally complex forest on state lands managed for timber.

The inventory gave the state its first complete picture of where these older forests exist and how much carbon they store.

Decision Protects 77,000 Acres for Carbon Storage

Upthegrove’s order protects 77,000 of the 106,000 acres identified. That includes almost 10,000 acres of the oldest and most developed stands.

The remaining 29,000 acres stay available for logging.

The state says this split keeps timber revenue steady for at least five years while the Department of Natural Resources develops new income sources.

Schools, fire districts, hospitals, and libraries get money from timber sales on state trust lands. The state promises those beneficiaries won’t lose funding during the transition.

Most Protected Forests Are in Two Regions

The 77,000 protected acres run mainly along the Olympic Peninsula and the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains.

Some sit near Lake Cavanaugh in Skagit County.

Others stretch along the Sauk River and the Skagit-Snohomish county line. More cover slopes around Mount Josephine, Blanchard Mountain, and Sumas Mountain.

The Capitol State Forest south of Olympia has protected stands.

The forests exist in scattered parcels rather than one continuous block, which complicates habitat connectivity but spreads protection across western Washington.

State Plans to Sell Carbon Credits

Washington wants to generate revenue from these forests without cutting them down. The Department of Natural Resources will ask the legislature for permission to sell carbon credits.

Companies that need to offset emissions could pay the state for the carbon these forests store and sequester.

The state also wants to sell credits for avoided wildfire emissions, since structurally complex forests resist fire better than young plantations.

Other possibilities include leasing excess water rights and promoting mass timber markets that use sustainable forestry products.

Timber Industry Calls It a $2.3 Billion Loss

The American Forest Resource Council estimates the protected forests hold $2. 3 billion worth of timber. The group says logging those acres would have generated $6 billion in economic activity.

Heath Heikkila, the council’s government affairs director, argues that removing 12 percent of harvestable land will hurt sawmills and logging contractors.

The Washington Forest Protection Association warns that reduced timber supply threatens the entire forest products sector.

Both groups question whether Upthegrove had legal authority to set aside trust lands without approval from the Board of Natural Resources.

Timber Money Funds Schools and Fire Districts

State trust lands generate about $300 million annually for schools, local governments, fire districts, and libraries.

That money comes mostly from timber sales.

The protected 77,000 acres were part of the harvestable land base. The state says it structured the decision to avoid revenue impacts for a decade.

Timber sales will continue on the 29,000 acres left available for harvest. Once carbon credit sales start, the state expects to replace lost timber income.

State Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal backed the plan, saying it provides certainty for rural communities that depend on forest revenue.

Environmental Groups Wanted Full Protection

The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition praised the 77,000-acre protection but called the overall plan disappointing. The group has sued repeatedly to stop logging sales on state land.

Spokesperson Joshua Wright said the 29,000 acres left available for logging include forests the coalition fought to protect. Those acres sit in the Capitol State Forest, the Chehalis River Basin, and the Willapa Hills.

Wright argued that allowing any logging of structurally complex forests undermines the conservation goal. Washington Conservation Action took a different view, calling the decision a big win for people and nature.

Protected Forests Will Mature Over Decades

The 77,000 acres won’t become old growth overnight. Tree trunks will grow wider. Cavities will form in ancient wood.

Forest ecologists say it takes 200 to 400 years for Pacific Northwest forests to develop full old growth characteristics. These protected stands are halfway there.

Over the next century, they’ll accumulate more standing dead trees, more fallen logs, deeper soil layers, and thicker canopies.

The forests will store more carbon as they age. Upthegrove called them the old growth forests that future generations will inherit.

Visiting Tiger Mountain, Washington

Tiger Mountain State Forest sits 35 miles east of Seattle near Issaquah, between Interstate 90 and State Route 18.

The High Point Trailhead at Exit 20 off I-90 provides access to hiking trails through structurally complex forest, including the popular West Tiger 3 summit trail.

The forest has 41 miles of designated trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. All trailheads are day use only with no camping allowed.

You need a Washington Discover Pass to park, which costs $10 for a day pass or $30 annually. The forest is open year-round, though trails can be muddy in winter.

For more information, visit dnr. wa.gov.

Visiting Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Olympic Peninsula holds thousands of acres of protected legacy forests managed by the Department of Natural Resources.

You can access these forests through multiple entry points along Highway 101 and forest roads that branch into the interior.

The forests near Lake Quinault offer hiking trails through diverse stands with old hemlocks and cedars. Some areas require high-clearance vehicles on gravel roads.

Always check current conditions and closures before visiting. A Discover Pass is needed for state forest lands.

The town of Forks makes a good base for exploring western Olympic forests, while Port Angeles provides access to northern areas.

Visiting Capitol State Forest, Washington

Capitol State Forest covers 110,000 acres south of Olympia between Interstate 5 and Highway 12. The forest has over 90 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

Legacy forests grow in scattered pockets throughout the forest, though some areas remain open for logging under the new plan.

Popular access points include the Mima Falls Trailhead off Bordeaux Road and the Sherman Valley entrance.

The forest allows primitive camping at designated sites.

You need a Discover Pass to park at trailheads. Visit dnr.wa.gov for current trail conditions, camping information, and maps showing which areas contain structurally complex forest.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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