Upthegrove Forest Plans

Wildfires plague Washington’s tinderbox forests

Locking Up Forests

• Upthegrove is campaigning on a plan to lock up forests from harvest

The Seattle Times, endorsing Herrera Beutler, said, “The Times editorial board felt Upthegrove did not explain his plan in a convincing or even a cohesive way. He said he would replace those older forest trust lands by buying other logging sites. That would require hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for it all; in the meantime, it puts in jeopardy the dwindling budgets of local schools, which have relied on proceeds the trust produces for decades.” — Seattle Times, 10/14/24 https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/the-seattle-times-editorial-board-recommends-jaime-herrera-beutler-for-wa-lands-commissioner/

“The biggest difference between Herrera Beutler and Upthegrove is their vision for the state’s 77,000 acres of “legacy forests,” or parcels of land with mature trees.

“Herrera Beutler wants to use those lands for timber harvest.

“In Thurston County, there are three different sales right now that are supposed to be harvested but are on hold because of political pressure,” Herrera Beutler said. “That would generate millions of dollars for public schools in Thurston County.”

“Upthegrove wants to change the state’s forest policy to protect legacy forests from future timber harvest.” — Spokesman Review https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/sep/22/wildfires-timber-industry-sit-front-and-center-in-/