Let’s save this forest

One of Olympic National Park’s famed rivers and its nearby forest ecosystem is again under threat.

When the Elwha River dam came down with community and tribal support, it was like a dream come true. Salmon could return home. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe could reclaim a sacred site long ago drowned under dam waters. The ecological rebirth of the area has been well documented and a reason to hope. (See the new documentary The Beautiful Undammed and the film Return of the River.)

Yet despite all this well-documented restoration, Washington state is quickly moving forward with timber sales in the Elwha watershed, justs outside Olympic National Park. Even though our community has objected to the sale and has begun an effort to buy the forest tract, Washington State Department of Natural resources has given the go-ahead for a timber sale of mature forest just 200 yards from the famed Elwha River. The Earth Law Center tried to stop the sale, but a judge has let the sale go on. Port Angeles City Council has opposed the sale, but our Clallam County government, citing the funds the sale would bring, has not.

The impending harvest makes the urgency of raising replacement funds for the county important. The Earth Law Center has set up an Elwha Forest Fund with the hopes to use this money to negotiate with DNR and ensure our county still gets its revenue. If DNR is offered this money, it no longer has an excuse to log. Donors can choose to keep donations in the fund or request a refund if we can’t "buy out" the Power Plant timber harvest lease.

What can we do? Help buy back our forest. And contact our Department of Natural Resources to tell them to stop the sale. DNR contact: (360) 902-1000 or hilary.franz@dnr.wa.gov 

Here’s a Seattle Times article about the timber sale on the Elwha River.

Return of the River- a film about how a community came together to tear down a dam and restore nature near Olympic National Park.