Washington’s family-owned forests provide scenic beauty, clean water, wildlife habitat, and natural resources that support schools, hospitals, roads, and libraries across the state.
But the state’s 5 million acres of family forests are at risk from fire and drought, threatening communities, the economy, and our environment.
This fall, Washington State University Extension Foresters are partnering with state and federal agencies to help owners safeguard their forests. Two new projects, funded by more than $600,000 in national and state grants, are expanding stewardship education and helping landowners create and use master plans for healthy forests. Forests have long been an important part of the Northwest economy, providing more than 106,000 jobs, $5.2 billion in annual family wages, and $214 million in taxes that support local communities.