Dabbler Update: Taking Responsibility for Our Childrens’ and Grandchildrens’ Future
“Do you remember when you were a child? Did you care? Did you ever want to be this when you grew up?!”
– questions asked by a member of the public to the Board of Natural Resources and outgoing Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, after they voted to proceed with timber sales of legacy forests in Clark and other counties in Washington (shared by the Center for Responsible Forestry).
Background
“Dabbler” is a name given by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to five forested units it manages in eastern Clark County comprising 156 acres of legacy forest in the Siouxon Creek region. You can read more about the Dabbler units, the importance of structurally complex legacy and mature forests like it, including the breakdown of the Department of Natural Resources’ involvement with forest management and timber sales, what’s at stake, and more from our previous newsletter article here:
The Dabbler sale went through (for now) but there is still HOPE!
At a pair of very contentious November and December meetings, the Board of Natural Resources voted to auction off the Dabbler legacy forest timber units, along with a multitude of other legacy forests across the state, despite clear and overwhelming public opposition. The units are set to be auctioned off on January 30, 2025. Although the funds from these units are used to support the Junior Taxing Districts of the County to benefit schools, cemetery districts, fire protection and other County needs, the funds are not given out on any kind of expected schedule, and are considered intermittent funding. The State Superintendent of Schools, Chris Reykdal, has publicly stated that these sales are not sustainable and a better, more efficient way of funding education should be explored.
The sales keep coming
FOCC has recently been made aware that the DNR is already moving forward with proposals to auction off 6 more legacy forests in Clark County in 2025, which is why we are working to halt this practice altogether while simultaneously fighting it sale by sale. We have learned that there is no special notice given to the public or to the Clark County Council when such proposals are made. FOCC believes that a moratorium should be established on these precious forest lands until better management practices are established. Time is of the essence.
FOCC and other groups, such as the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (LFDC), are also working to find a viable alternative to fund the Junior Taxing Districts, as the benefits these forests provide are invaluable to our water, climate, and wildlife and thus should no longer be wrongly tied to things such as school funding—pitting public schools against forests that ensure a liveable future for today’s school children. Additionally, clear cutting of these forests stands in stark opposition to Washington State’s own climate goals and Clark County’s climate obligations under the law. Furthermore, the Dabbler units are home to creatures such as the Spotted Owl, a species that requires protection.
Is it too late to save Dabbler and Clark County’s remaining legacy forests?
ABSOLUTELY NOT — but we must act quickly. Our allies at LFDC, who specialize in litigating the DNR’s sales of legacy forests for clear cutting, have appealed this sale (and many others all over Washington). They have been successful in obtaining injunctions against timber cutting until a proper resolution can be reached. In addition, we have new leadership at the state and local level (Public Lands Commissioner and Clark County Council) who have the power to stop the sale or call for a moratorium on further logging of such forests. The DNR, Public Lands Commissioner, and the Clark County Council need to hear from the community.
FOCC is collectively working with our partners to ask the incoming Clark County Council to submit a letter to the new Public Lands Commissioner, Dave Upthegrove, asking to cancel the sale of the Dabbler forest, the structurally complex portion of another Clark County sale (Silver Vista), and ultimately stop all future timber sales of mature and legacy forests in Clark County. Washington must find a way to benefit the Junior Taxing Districts while preserving our nearly-old-growth areas. We greatly appreciate Upthegrove’s commitment to addressing this harmful practice and his belief that there are better alternatives to the current policies. However, the beneficiaries of the funding, including Clark County, have a special role to play and must also voice their support for protecting these forests.
Most importantly, we want to ensure that Clark County’s carbon sequestration goals are met. In particular, we hope that members of the Clark County Climate Community Advisory Group (CAG) will voice support for Council action to stop the destruction of these precious forests that provide mitigation from the ever-warming climate. We cannot wait for 2026 to start addressing the climate emergency.
Let’s urge our county and our state to be proactive by moving in a new direction to protect our children at this most opportune and urgent time in history. As always, we will keep you posted on how and when to engage. Please reach out to info@friendsofclarkcounty.org if you are part of a local organization that wants to sign on to our efforts.