Washington state Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove was elected on a promise to permanently protect 77,000 acres of Legacy Forest.
Yet, his day one action was only a temporary pause, not a true moratorium.
Last month, when he held a press conference to announce “permanent protection” of those 77,000 acres, the map told a different story. It was riddled with mistakes — protecting only part of the promised acreage while putting 29,000 acres, including some of the most ecologically valuable forests, back on the auction block for logging.
This is a broken promise to the public and to the future of Washington’s forests. The map must be corrected, and the remaining 5% of Legacy Forests on state lands must be permanently protected — no exceptions, no loopholes, no more rollback.
Washingtonians voted for real forest protection, not a shell game. It’s time to honor that commitment and safeguard all remaining Legacy Forests — fully, accurately, and forever.
Laurie Kerr
Clark County
