David Upthegrove

TIGER MOUNTAIN, Issaquah — Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove is making good on a campaign promise to conserve thousands of acres of older forests in Washington dubbed legacy forests. The state Department of Natural Resources announced it would conserve 77,000 acres of these structurally complex forests. The state defines these structurally complex forests as those with gaps in the canopy, diverse species growing below and a relatively low presence of large fallen logs or snags. …They are very close to fully mature forests with increased biodiversity. …These forests will no longer be in the state’s traditional logging rotation. Instead, the state said it would go to the Legislature for permission to enter carbon markets and look to new ways of managing the lands. …The state said it could also provide supply for mass timber. …Environmental advocates have been calling for the protection of these second-growth forests since 2021.