News

Since 1960, Congress has designated the third week of October as National Forest Products Week. For 59 years, National Forest Products Week has helped to draw attention to the importance of our nation’s forest products industry and reflect on how responsibly managed forests contribute to our wellbeing, economy and quality… Read more

The Business Roundtable made headlines recently when it announced a new set of operating principles that shift from focusing solely on shareholders to creating an economy that serves all Americans. The declaration listed the need for corporations to redefine their mission to support communities, cultivate a strong and sustainable economy,… Read more

Washington’s modern timber industry and early adoption of tall wood buildings have helped the state lead the nation in incorporating innovative wood products into the environmental stewardship movement. The recent opening of two mass timber factories in Colville and Spokane Valley underscores this. Working forests and all wood products continue… Read more

Less rainfall in the spring, drought conditions and hotter summers are impacting Washington’s native trees and forest health, says a joint agency report released earlier this year. In collaboration with state and federal agencies, the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, US Department of Agriculture… Read more

More people are recognizing the important role the forestry and timber industries play in addressing global warming concerns and improving air quality. It’s well known that trees sequester carbon dioxide gas and release oxygen into the air and that in working forests the process of planting, harvesting and replanting trees… Read more

The Department of Natural Resources just got a boost in its firefighting efforts. DNR announced the recent acquisition of a 1970 Huey helicopter that it is refurbishing to help suppress forest fires in the state. The 49-year-old helicopter was given to DNR free of charged after the Army decommissioned it…. Read more

Working forests play a vital role in Washington state and a website is showing just that by presenting the important contributions sustainably-produced timber offers. From environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, carbon sequestration to salmon recovery, working forests provide a whole host of benefits for our state and local communities. With a… Read more

An unseasonably wetter and cooler summer – especially in traditionally drier parts of the state – is resulting in fewer and less intense wildfires this summer. The Lens reports that an “unusually high amount of rainfall in eastern Washington in the first part of August has helped keep this year’s… Read more

Well managed timberlands and effective forestry practices are vital to reducing the dangers associated with catastrophic wildfires. The Everett Daily Herald published an op-ed authored by Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake) this week that urged us all to support evidence-based forest management strategies and to embrace opportunities to work in… Read more

One of the most recognized icons and the star of the longest-running public awareness ad campaign in US history celebrates 7½ decades of advocating for campfire safety and wildfire prevention this week. Smokey Bear, born on Aug. 9, 1944, turns 75-years-old today. Smokey Bear was born out of a collaboration… Read more