FOCC Appeals the Dabbler Timber Sale Alongside Legacy Forest Defense Coalition: See our Joint Press Release!
Legacy Forest Defense Coalition Friends of Clark County
December 30, 2024
For Immediate Release
Environmental Organizations File Lawsuit to Halt Dabbler Timber Sale in Clark County
Legacy Forest Defense Coalition and Friends of Clark County filed a lawsuit last week in Superior Court, alleging multiple violations by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of the Forest Practices Act, and its own Habitat Conservation Plan and Policy for Sustainable Forests.
Clark County, WA — The fate of 140 acres of rare, mature and old growth forests in Clark County hangs in the balance as the DNR, under the leadership of Commissioner Hilary Franz, prepares to hand them over to commercial logging companies to be clearcut.
The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (LFDC) and Friends of Clark County (FOCC) announced today the filing of a lawsuit challenging the Dabbler timber sale, which would authorize the clearcutting of 140 acres of mature, structurally complex forests in Southwest Washington. Filed in Clark County Superior Court, the lawsuit alleges violations of state environmental laws and policies by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and seeks to prevent the destruction of rare forest ecosystems vital to the region’s biodiversity and climate resilience.
“The Dabbler timber sale targets forests that are over 120 years old, featuring diverse canopies and critical habitats for species like the Northern Spotted Owl,” said Stephen Kropp, Director of LFDC. “Logging these forests violates DNR’s own policies, which require protection of older forests to achieve long-term conservation and biodiversity goals.”
The forests slated for logging are located in the Columbia Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) planning unit, where DNR has failed to meet its obligation to designate at least 10-15 percent of state lands as structurally complex, older forests—a requirement under DNR’s own Policy for Sustainable Forests.
Threats to Environmental Integrity and Local Heritage
This timber sale not only threatens local biodiversity but also undermines efforts to combat climate change, which is now one of the Goals of the Washington Growth Management Act that Clark County must comply with in its current Comprehensive Plan update. Mature forests like those in the Dabbler area play a critical role in carbon sequestration, watershed health, and wildlife habitat preservation. Adjacent to the proposed sale area is a rare, 30-acre patch of old-growth forest that provides essential habitat for sensitive and threatened species. The proposed logging would also jeopardize the ecological health of the nearby Siouxon Creek watershed.
Friends of Clark County works with community partners and policy makers to keep it a thriving place to live, now and for our children and grandchildren. This means complying with state and local laws.
“This sale is a direct assault on the ecological heritage of Clark County,” said Ann Foster of Friends of Clark County. “It is irresponsible to sacrifice these forests for short-term revenue, especially when DNR has not fulfilled its mandate to protect our legacy forests for future generations. The importance of legacy trees for carbon sequestration can’t be understated—we NEED legacy trees to meet our new climate goals.”
DNR Violating Its Own Permit and Policy
The lawsuit highlights several violations by the DNR, including:
- Failure to develop a Forest Land Plan for the Columbia HCP planning unit, as required to identify and protect structurally complex forests.
- Approval of the sale without meeting the minimum 10% designation for older forests in the region.
- Inadequate environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), including the failure to assess cumulative impacts from this and other planned timber sales in the Columbia planning unit.
Old growth forest management targets are the primary means provided in the HCP and DNR’s Policy for Sustainable Forests for achieving older forest objectives in the Columbia region. Federal permits require that DNR maintain or restore between 10 to 15 percent of state forestlands to old growth conditions by the year 2096. DNR has not met these goals in any part of the state.
Currently, DNR is behind in meeting its old-growth forest targets in the Columbia region. The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition and Friends of Clark County have presented dozens of documents, letters, and reports, and a trove of supporting data to DNR that clearly demonstrates DNR’s permit requirements and policy objectives cannot be met if the State continues logging the very forests that need to be protected to meet its old growth targets.
In this lawsuit, LFDC and FOCC are asking the Court to invalidate the Board of Natural Resource’s approval of the Dabbler timber sale based on DNR’s failure to account for the timber sale’s probable and significant adverse impacts to the environment.
“Our interest is in seeing DNR manage its land in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of its Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), and existing policies that are intended to conserve biodiversity and prevent the future listing of endangered species,” said Kropp.
Call to Action
FOCC and LFDC are urging the public to join their efforts to protect Clark County’s last remaining legacy forests. “Our lawsuit seeks to hold DNR accountable and ensure that sustainable forest management policies are followed,” said Foster. “We have an obligation to future generations to preserve these forests and the vital services they provide—especially in light of the climate emergency.”
About Legacy Forest Defense Coalition
The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition is a science-based nonprofit organization leading the fight to save Western Washington’s last legacy forests through precedent-setting lawsuits, comprehensive timber sale reconnaissance, effective community organizing, powerful tribal and county partnerships, and cutting edge research and GIS analysis.
About Friends of Clark County
The Friends of Clark County is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible growth in Clark County that protects local farms, healthy forests, clean water, abundant fish and wildlife and creates safe, vibrant and equitable communities.
LFDC and FOCC are represented by King County attorney Toby Thaler and Clark County attorney Alicia LeDuc Montgomery.
Media Contacts
Stephen Kropp, LFDC President: (253) 272-8844
Ann Foster, Friends of Clark County President:(360) 600-0100