Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz today met with a delegation from Ukraine (led by State Specialized Forest Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” Director General Yurii Bolokhovets) to discuss best practices for sustainable forestry as well wildfire response and mitigation strategies. Ukrainian officials requested a meeting with Commissioner Franz and DNR staff to develop and strengthen bilateral cooperation in sustainable forestry. Washington’s high standards in forest management make the agency a global leader in sustainable harvest, conservation, and preservation. …Ukraine’s forests are in danger. The State Forest Resources Agency estimated that nearly 30% of Ukraine’s forests have suffered some kind of damage in the last three years. Russia reportedly has been actively destroying and harvesting Ukrainian forests, depleting the country’s natural resources, inflicting over $2 trillion in environmental costs, and causing long-term ecological damage – lowering groundwater level, reducing biodiversity, polluting the air, and increasing wildfires.