Zoom in on the interactive Google Map to see where the DNR plans to log in the Elwha River Watershed.
Please help us save the Elwha River Watershed from more extractive logging!
The proposed DNR timber sale named “Tree Well” will log approximately 202 acres of forest near the Elwha River and Little River.
Tree Well is planned to be approved by the Board of Natural Resources as soon as Nov 5th, 2024. The Board of Natural Resources and DNR can cancel this sale and save this forest. Please tell the Board of Natural Resources and DNR to cancel this sale NOW. Click here to send a pre-written email.
Tree Well
Yet another legacy forest timber sale in the Elwha River Watershed
The Tree Well timber sale would log more legacy forest in the Elwha River watershed and is currently scheduled to be approved by the Board of Natural Resources as soon as Nov 5th 2024. It is very close to the Aldwell logged area and the Alley Cat and Parched timber sales. It would also create over 6980 ft of new forest roads, that will never be forested again.
The “Tree Well” sale has a unit adjacent to Little River, with sections of it inside and outside the Elwha watershed boundary. Risks to the watershed associated with industrial logging include increases in peak flows and diminished summer streamflow in Little River, a major tributary to the Elwha, and one of the first places salmon returned post dam removal.
The Tree Well timber sale includes large, mature Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, and Big Leaf Maple.
Tree Well is a naturally regenerated forest with seasonal creeks, a complex understory, large snags, large wood on the forest floor and a mixed age canopy.
See Joshua Wright’s photos of Units 1 and 2.
Tree Well also includes steep hillsides and the potential for landslides, which would be made worse by clear-cut logging. A geotechnical review by a licensed engineering geologist concluded that the DNR had not adequately reviewed the deep seated landslides in the timber sale area (specifically Unit 3, adjacent to Little River). See the geotechnical review here (1.9MB PDF): Geotechical Review Tree Well FPA 2618493
SEPA Comments:
- Legacy Forest Defense Coalition Comments – Tree Well
- Earth Law Center – Center for Whale Research – Tree Well Timber Sale SEPA Comment
- Center for Responsible Forestry Tree Well SEPA Comments
- City of Port Angeles SEPA comments for Tree Well
- Hydrologist Comments on potential impacts of Tree Well, Parched, Alley Cat to the watershed
Elwha River Watershed
With the removal of the 2 dams on the Elwha River, there’s over a $320 million dollar effort to restore the Elwha watershed. This includes work to restore salmon access up the Elwha and its tributaries. The Power Plant and TCB23 forests are part of the watershed that feeds directly into the Elwha River.
Legacy forests play a crucial role in protecting water quality. Trees in these forests act as natural filters, removing pollutants and contaminants from the water before it reaches streams, rivers, and lakes. They also help to prevent soil erosion and sedimentation, which can clog water sources and decrease their quality. Additionally, the root systems of trees in legacy forests help to regulate water flow and reduce the risk of flooding. Cutting down these forests would impact the quality of water sources in the area.
The Elwha River is the sole water supply for the City of Port Angeles and also a key source of salmon for the critically endangered southern resident orcas.
Graphic showing some of the legacy forest timber sales in the Elwha Watershed.
Climate Change
Resources
-
New Trees are No Substitute for Old Trees – Politico article by Dr. Norm Christenson and Dr. Jerry Franklin
- WA State Teacher/Student/Parent Petition to protect Legacy Forests
- Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance – Call to Action
- Olympic Climate Action
- Article: Washington mistakenly relies on logging as a climate solution
- 2022 Presidential Executive Order on preserving mature and old growth forests – Climate Forests Summary
- Climate Forests – Older Forests Factsheet
- Wild Carbon Storage in Old Forests
- Meeting GHG reduction targets requires accounting for all forest sector emissions
All images are ©Forest2Sea unless otherwise noted. Please contact us if you’d like to use any of these images to help save our legacy forests!