Dave Upthegrove & Herrera Beutler

The future of Washington’s timber industry and strategies for preventing and fighting massive wildfires are at stake in the race to be the next state commissioner of public lands. The position of commissioner, who serves a four-year term as the leader of Washington’s Department of Natural Resources, is on the Nov. 5 ballot. The state commissioner of public lands sits at the helm of a massive agency, overseeing 2,000 employees and 6 million acres of public land across Washington, including 3 million acres of state trust lands – parcels that generate revenue from logging that goes to government programs such as schools. On Wednesday, candidates Dave Upthegrove and Jaime Herrera Beutler faced off in what was their first time sharing a debate stage. …Herrera Beutler is a Republican running with a plan to grow the state’s timber industry. Upthegrove, a Democrat, is running on a platform of strong conservation values.