A proposed timber sale in the northeastern corner of Clark County could provide over $600,000 to the Battle Ground Public Schools district (BGPS) and more to other beneficiaries, although some residents believe the timber harvest could be devastating to the Northern spotted owl and old growth forests.
The Dabbler timber sale is expected to take place in the December Board of Natural Resources meeting, with an auction slated for January, 2025.
If approved, the sale consists of 140 harvestable acres out of 156 in total managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The land is mainly composed of Douglas fir trees. The timber value was appraised at $3,141,000, but the American Forest Resource Council estimates the auction sale could reach a higher value. Through taxing districts, the sale could provide BGPS an estimated $677,463 and $150,843 to North Country EMS, along with other beneficiaries.
Despite local beneficiaries receiving funds from the sale of the DNR managed timber, efforts are being made to block the sale and harvest. A total of 10,704 letters have been sent to DNR with a goal of 12,800 on the Action Network website due to the land overlapping with Northern spotted owl habitat.
Heath Heikkila, director and government affairs for the American Forest Resource Council, believes this timber sale is a part of a bigger debate. The American Forest Resource Council represents DNR timber purchasers, the forest product industry and the beneficiaries of timber sales.
“Do we want these wood products to come from carefully managed forests under tight regulations that benefit the school kids in Battle Ground and providers of EMS services while providing jobs right here in Clark County, or we can import these products from other places or use less-environmentally friendly products like things made out of concrete and steel,” Heikkila said, adding that wood products are internationally recognized for having fewer carbon emission impacts.
The Dabbler timber sale exists on state forest transfer land. The land was once private but eventually became state-owned and thus managed by DNR for the benefit of the county in which it resides. Heikkila explained the timber sale works similarly to property tax, as revenue generated from the sale flows back to multiple beneficiaries in Clark County, which also include the Fort Vancouver Library system, Clark County and Clark County roads.
Once auctioned, funds from day-of-sale fees would be allocated to the beneficiaries within 60 to 90 days, and the purchaser gets a contracted harvest length of 18 to 24 months to have two summer operating periods, with further revenue funds being distributed throughout the contract term.
To ensure the sale is environmentally friendly, DNR has the sale area examined by geologists, biologists and other experts. The Dabbler timber sale has 16 acres of land that are not harvestable, whether in the form of leaf tree areas, unstable slopes, riparian areas and other factors.
“From an environmental perspective, it’s a very good place to harvest it in terms of its near roads, it’s accessible, it’s around other areas that are managed stands,” Heikkila said. “So this is not going into a remote place to harvest things, and it’s also not near [trails]. … I know there’s some trails out there and stuff. There’s been some concern in the past about DNR timber sales being near those. This is not in that kind of vicinity. This is really in a managed forest area.”
No old growth can be harvested on DNR state trust lands. Old growth is automatically protected, Heikkila said.
“But the issue with this is that, as we mentioned, there’s this HCP, habitat conservation plan, that lays out habitat thresholds for the [Northern spotted] owl to have in the area, and DNR is meeting all of those thresholds,” Heikkila said. “So under the plan, then there are areas that they can harvest and this has been approved, and it’s routinely reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that is in charge of the Endangered Species Act for owls.”
Heikkila also pointed out the Dabbler timber sale’s proximity to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest as the national forest land has little harvest activity.
“So the owl has a significant amount of habitat, you know, obviously on the Gifford Pinchot. I won’t get into how the owl is actually doing these days because that would be a longer conversation, but we’re doing the right thing by species there from a habitat perspective.”
Once harvested, Matt Comisky, Washington state manager for the American Forest Resource Council, said state agencies will replant and do reforestation work. The land is slated to receive 300 Douglas fir trees per acre, along with 25 Western hemlock and 25 Western red cedar per acre.
