Most down-ballot elections draw little attention, but not this year when it comes to Washington’s Public Lands commissioner.
Heading into November, former Congresswoman Jaimie Herrera-Beutler, a Republican from southwest Washington, faces Democrat King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, who in the last primary election recount had a razor-thin 51-vote lead over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson.
It has been the closest statewide election in two decades. In 2004, Democrat Christine Gregoire was declared winner in the governor’s race by 133 votes over Dino Rossi (R) after two recounts.
In July, the Seattle Times reported: “No one person or entity, other than the federal government, has more influence over Washington’s landscape than the state lands commissioner, who presides over about 6 million acres of the state’s forest, range, agricultural, aquatic and commercial lands — with firefighting responsibilities covering 13 million acres of public and private land.”
The Commissioner of Public Lands manages Washington’s massive Department of Natural Resources.
The most controversial issue in the race is how to manage the state’s forestlands, particularly when it comes to logging and removing wildfire fuels. DNR manages more than two million acres of forested state trust lands for long-term timber production, specific habitat objectives, protection of clean, abundant water, and to provide carbon absorption and storage.
Washington has been blessed with vast state-owned forests that are held in “trust” for schools, universities, counties and even to fund operations of our state capitol in Olympia Congress deeded those lands to Washington when it became a state in 1889. These lands were specifically intended to generate long-term revenue for specified beneficiaries.
Trust lands managed by DNR are different than other publicly managed lands because they come with a legal responsibility to earn money for the trusts. Much of that money comes from timber sales and therein lies the rub.
In July, Upthegrove, whose backers include the Sierra Club, told the Spokesman-Review as commissioner, he would preserve “Legacy” forests, which are not considered old growth but are stands of older trees. In other words, those forests would not be harvested nor earn money for the trusts.
In addition, Upthegrove supported efforts to pause local timber sales until the agency develops a policy to protect Legacy forests. He would direct DNR to harvest timber on other younger parcels while developing long-term revenue alternatives.
Meanwhile, Herrera Beutler, who represented timber and other natural-resource-dependent communities in Congress and backed by the American Forest Resources Council, has a different view.
She told Spokesman-Review “she believes managed forests — where some timber is harvested — are healthier forests and that the agency needs to push back on “extreme anti-forestry activists.”
Those healthier forests are cleared of woody debris that fuel massive wildfires. Managed forests also have vibrant younger trees that convert enormous amounts of CO2 into life-giving oxygen.
Legacy forests, on the other hand, protect older trees, some of which need to be harvested. It is not just a matter of the age of trees, their health must factor in.
For example, Washington’s semi-arid forests contain lodgepole pine that is highly susceptible to tree-suffocating beetles as they grow larger and older. Massive mountain pine beetle pandemics leave thousands of acres of mature gray, bark-less trees, which fall, clutter the forest floor and incinerate.
The way those forests replace themselves, if not logged, requires fire. Lodgepole cones pop open like popcorn in a kettle to sprout new trees. Meanwhile, taxpayers foot the bill to fight the conflagrations, allow valuable wood to be destroyed, and we all choke from clouds of dense smoke.
In the end, the election may be a referendum on harvesting itself. Not logging only increases the frequency and intensity of uncontrollable wildfires. That approach is unwise and dangerous.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com.
