Legacy Forest Defense Coalition

08/22/2026

These forests are the closest thing to old growth left in the lower North Fork Nooksack River valley. Now they're under attack, in WA DNR's "North Fork Start Up" and "Secretariat" timber sales.

The Secretariat timber sale encompasses a 110-plus-year-old wonderland of towering Douglas-fir and cedar trees, including multiple eagle nests. The North Fork Start Up sale targets a spectacularly diverse, maple- and cedar-dominated forest that contains multiple ancient cedar trees that survived the...

08/09/2026

Clearcuts are widely understood to be detrimental to forests—but what about more selective forms of logging? In this webinar, LFDC Executive Director Stephen Kropp and Dr. Chad Hanson, Director and Principal Ecologist of the John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, examine the ecological consequences of thinning in the name of wildfire mitigation and forest health.

Clearcuts are widely understood to be detrimental to forests—but wh...

08/03/2026

Elwha Legacy Forests Coalition (ELF) is a local and volunteer… Elwha Legacy Forest Coalition needs your support for Save Twin Rivers Legacy Forests (“Doc Holliday” Timber Sale)

07/28/2026

The WA DNR’s Peninsula 2 Land Exchange threatens to transfer the last remaining lowland legacy forest in the Pysht River Watershed to a timber company. Learn more and take action!

The DNR's Peninsula 2 Land Exchange threatens to transfer the last remaining lowland legacy forest in the Pysht River Watershed to a timber company Towering Sitka spruce in Pysht River legacy forest, Photo by Scott McGee / Forest 2 Sea Photography. See more.On September 1, the Washington State Board...

07/01/2026

We have big news about our lawsuit challenging the Chai timber sale in Capitol State Forest!

First, the bad: Eager to log the oldest and most valuable trees, Merrill & Ring wasted no time logging Unit 3 of Chai last month. With the exception of a few “leave tree” clumps, this biodiverse forest and the vital habitat it has provided for well over a century have been reduced to stumps.

But there’s still hope for the remaining two units. Last week, the Superior Court judge in Thurston County granted our motion for an injunction in the Chai lawsuit. The WA Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Merrill & Ring were both ordered to immediately halt all activity in Chai until a final decision is made on the merits of the case. Judge Schaller found that we are likely to win on the merits, and that the balance of equities favors the public’s interest in seeing these forests protected.  

DNR had demanded that we post a bond of $293,000. Judge Schaller characterized that demand as unreasonable, stating that if she were to grant DNR’s request, no one would ever possibly be able to pursue litigation against the State, and set the bond at $1,000.

This is a big win for LFDC and our co-plaintiff, the Center for Sustainable Economy, but it’s not the end. You can be a part of the legal battle to protect native forests by sharing and donating at wlfdc.org/donate. Thank you for your support!

06/20/2026

"If the board is intended to merely serve as a rubber stamp, let the commissioner of public lands simply decide what we harvest based on policy and legislation. But that’s not the law today. Today, every sale goes through the BNR on a monthly basis, and I presume it’s because the Legislature intended to have discussion, debate and at times disagreement on those sales.

As an educator, I see the world through a lens of what provides maximum benefit to future generations. On some occasions, that means keeping trees standing instead of generating limited short-term revenue that often doesn’t even land in the rural community where it’s generated."

While the editorial board objects to my votes against some timber sales, I don’t agree that the role of the BNR is to rubberstamp proposals that come before us.

06/16/2026

‼️ The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to transfer 115,200 acres of Alaska's Tongass National Forest to corporations. Now the Senate needs to hear from YOU!

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to transfer 115,200 acres of Alaska's Tongass National Forest to corporations.We have alarming news. H.R. 41, known as the "landless bill," was just passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives by unanimous consent. This legislation would transfer...

06/15/2026

In Washington State, the timber industry and its biggest proponents often cite school funding as reason for more logging on state lands. While it’s true that certain school districts have grown dependent on timber sale revenue, the nuances of the economic situation are usually misunderstood.

Take it from Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. In this audio from a recent Board of Natural Resources meeting, Reykdal debunks a popular myth about WA’s Common School trust and highlights the problem with relying on timber harvests to fund public schools.

06/09/2026

Nothing beats eating lunch among old-growth trees, especially when those trees are no longer slated for logging!

To help us protect more native forest ecosystems like this one, follow and consider supporting our work with a donation at wlfdc.org/donate