Can a Tree-Sitter Help Save Our Legacy Forests?

by Lisa Dekker, Clallam Democrats Rising newsletter team

“All the public lands granted to the state are held in trust for all the people.” 
                                                                                                 — WA State Constitution

Since May 8, an unknown tree-sitter has perched 80 feet above the ground to prevent loggers from clear cutting the 183-acre Parched legacy forest. (Photo by an on-site activist who prefers to remain anonymous)

On May 8 and May 17, folks from Clallam County and several other counties were alerted to rally and provide support for a person camped on a small platform 80 feet above the ground, just a few miles west of Port Angeles. The tree-sitter, a skilled climber, is committed to stopping the logging of an 183-acre Department of Natural Resources (DNR) legacy forest named Parched. Sadly, the first few days of this action were marked by law enforcement intentionally harassing and endangering the protester by using verbal taunts and spotlights trained on the tree-sitter throughout the night.

The term “legacy forest” denotes a mature forest, usually 75 years old or more. These forests were seeded naturally, have never been industrially cut, and soon will be considered old growth. They are lush, diverse, and dense with moss and vegetation. They hold rich, absorbent soils created by the slow breakdown of fallen logs which, in turn, create new growth. Firs and other conifers are home to insects, birds, and wildlife, including flying squirrels. The indigenous peoples of the region consider these forests sacred and have gathered food in them for centuries. Leaving mature NW forests standing has great value – likely much more than their logged price tag – because recent research has found that legacy forests are the best at holding carbon and cooling the land.

The Parched forest is one of three legacy forests targeted for cutting within the Elwha Watershed. Parched was auctioned off to Murphy Company and some of its logging roads are already scraped off. 

Since the tree-sitter began the protest, the DNR has blocked vehicle access to the area, forcing a 7-mile round trip hike for anyone who wishes to support the tree-sitter, or to observe and document any further actions by law enforcement.

By blocking access for the loggers, the tree-sitter is buying time to save this particular legacy forest from being clear cut. However, this action is not a one-off. It is part of a two-year effort by grassroots groups and volunteers to engage the public and create awareness of what is at stake. Right now, there are two ongoing lawsuits awaiting a court decision. The ultimate aim of all these efforts is to save at least 12 other legacy forests in seven Washington counties from being logged and turned into tree plantations. 

There is a worry in part of the community that saving these older forests from logging would hurt rural economies, schools, and jobs. But the facts are that: (1) unprotected legacy forests represent less than 5% of Washington’s DNR lands; 2) timber revenue represents about 25% of the school construction budget, so timber revenue from unprotected legacy forests would make up only about 1% of the school construction budget; 3) timber revenue only makes up about 10% of all funding for schools, so unprotected legacy forests represent less than 0.5% of overall school funding. Even our superintendent of schools, Chris Reykdahl, has said the state can find other ways to make up any shortfall. Although timber industry jobs declined over the last few decades, it is not due to any shortage of harvestable trees, but to the high mechanization of operations and the export of raw logs that no longer get processed in Washington.

In November of 2024, the Clallam County Democrats approved a resolution calling on the Commissioner of Public Lands and the Washington State legislature to adopt policies and legislation in 2025 and beyond to protect and restore forest lands in the Elwha Watershed, starting with the remaining legacy forests. This included cancelling legacy forest timber sales in the Tree Well and Parched parcels, along with any other legacy forest timber sales in the Elwha Watershed.

On Friday, May 23, Clallam Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stanley held a hearing on whether the DNR is in violation of the law for failing to file the administrative record for nearly five months. The courtroom was standing-room only, packed with many legacy forest supporters as well as loggers. The Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (LFDC) and Earth Law Center (ELC) asked that a 90-day injunction be declared on logging operations in the Parched and Tree Well parcels. The court ordered the DNR to file the record by June 18, but declined to enter the requested injunction. 

The parties are now seeking another temporary injunction until the court can hear another motion set for June 6 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Stanley. In that motion, the LFDC will argue that the DNR has failed to set aside a sufficient number of older forests and that logging activity must be stopped until there can be a full hearing on the merits based on the administration record the DNR has repeatedly failed to file.

We urge readers to stay tuned and stay engaged. For updates on this ever-evolving situation, sign up for the Elwha Legacy Forest Coalition newsletter at elwhalegacyforests.org. 

Take action today:
Call Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove and leave a message (360-902-1000 ext. 4), or email him at [email protected] asking for:

• Immediate cancellation of the Parched timber sale
• A pause on all logging in the Elwha watershed
• A permanent ban on logging on all legacy forests in western Washington 

Sources: CRF Center for Responsible Forestry; Elwha Legacy Forests; Legacy Forest Defense Coalition; End the DNR Mandate; Washington Policy Center; Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

And thanks to: Forest For the Trees #2 - Under Severed Canopies: Grief, Growth and Resistance, a pamphlet-zine that is “the collective work of seven writers, artists, and musicians inhabiting the forested and deforested lands of Western Washington.” ​(Not available online)

Supporters chide Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove for becoming Dave “Cutthegrove” during a rally protesting the planned logging of the Parched timber sale. (Photo by an on-site activist who prefers to remain anonymous)