This is a good idea. Glad that Franz is in this role. She is doing a great job of looking into new ways to envision the public forestlands.
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Hilary Franz, state commissioner of public lands, is kicking off an examination over the next three to four months of all older forests on DNR lands west of the Cascades not already in conservation status — about 10,000 acres –to evaluate alternative uses to logging, including biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality and recreation. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)
Filed under: Environmental Protection, Government, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: DNR, forest practices, regulations |
Yes, I understand what you are saying. But it’s so easy for Belcher and Goldmark, now out of office, to tell Franz that she ought to go further. I don’t remember either of those two being paragons for environmental protection while they were in office. They were running bureaucracies that had a lot of constituents to answer to, as does Franz now. I don’t totally agree that Franz herself is “unconditionally” supporting the shellfish industry. Again, she finds her organization at the intersection of the state constitution supporting the industry and the needs of protecting the remaining beaches. I suppose I am cutting her a wee bit of slack, and I totally support bringing the issue of “how many more beaches are we going to convert to aquaculture” to the forefront. No one wants to do it. but it’s needed. so the courts are settling it instead of Hillary. Sad. no one has an once of backbone anymore. It’s all up to the courts and the environmentalists who are left who will fund the lawsuits in the face of industry buying off of the environmental orgs that simply do restoration. There’s little time left for that kind of nonsense. Maybe we’ve already run out of time. What Would Billie Frank Jr. Say? #WWBFJS?
Ecology, WDFW, DNR and of course, AG, are all behind eradicating native burrowing shrimp to benefit non-native and invasive shellfish…DNR recently committed to spearhead over $1.1 Million in public funds to help this wealthy industry eradicate burrowing shrimp – including one species that is bordering on extinction. Are we out of time? Perhaps. This burrowing shrimp clearly is but the state soldiers on as if there is no tomorrow. We can’t support proposals that don’t match the facts on the ground, otherwise I believe that is categorized as a form of insanity. In fact, an Ecology and AG permit still stands for this industry to eradicate eelgrass in Willapa Bay. And we wonder why our salmon and other native species are struggling?! Franz does not have my respect or support but I admire your attempts to influence.
I appreciate your thoughts Stella thank you very much for bringing out these very good points of view.I hope our readers will take the time to look into the issues regarding the borough and shrimp out in Grays Harbor
sorry, meant Willapa Bay.
Franz is opposed to a much more progressive policy outlined by former DNR Commissioners Goldmark and Belcher. Here is an excerpt from the Seattle Times article you cite:
“But that is nothing compared to positions staked out by two of her predecessors: Jennifer Belcher, commissioner from 1993-2001, and Peter Goldmark, commissioner from 2009-2017. They have launched a proposal to gradually stop all commercial harvest of state forests west of the Cascades, for what they see as a higher purpose: combating the climate crisis.
Franz said she opposes her predecessors’ proposal. She is concerned about preserving local timber supplies, mills, jobs and payments made from timber revenue to state trust beneficiaries for school construction and local government needs.”
Franz also appears to unconditionally support the non-native and invasive shellfish industry, wreaking havoc with our native marine species including critical Orca food – Chinook salmon.
Her current proposal to examine preserving these older trees seems to fall short of what is, in my opinion, really needed to combat climate change.
Good Morning Al. Thank you for distributing this article. I hope the “timber county” elected officials do not irrationally jump to the timber industry defense. If you have not followed it……in the past six months the Oregonian has run at least four feature articles disclosing the short term interest timber practices of the Oregon timber industry. Please don’t read these articles in the evening…….you won’t be able to get to sleep. Again, thanks for Olympic Peninsula Environmental News. mike doherty