Olympic Experimental Forest Plan completed – timber companies congratulate DNR

American Forest Resource Council

Olympia, WA – During a ceremony held this week in Forks, Washington, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) congratulated the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on the completion of a land plan for the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF).

“DNR is among the most responsible forest land managers in the world.  AFRC’s members and all of Washington State’s citizens will benefit from the good work, based on sound science, contained in this plan for the management of the OESF,” said Travis Joseph, AFRC President.  “This plan will help assure a predictable supply of raw material to our members and a dependable stream of revenues to the counties for hospitals, libraries, fire districts and other local services, as well as for public school construction.”

The land plan will govern management of 272,000 acres of DNR-managed trust lands in western Jefferson and Clallam counties.  It is the culmination of decades of effort by the DNR and those interested in forest land management on the Olympic Peninsula.  It also fulfills a commitment made by DNR in its 1997 Habitat Conservation Plan which protects spotted owl and marbled murrelet habitat and riparian areas.

AFRC represents companies that harvest, process, and manufacture products using DNR-managed timber.  It is a regional trade association whose purpose is to advocate for sustained yield timber harvests on public timberlands throughout the West to enhance forest health and resistance to fire, insects, and disease.