Thank you so much, Carol! 🙂

Thank you for the comment, Mr. Bekkevar, I appreciate the opportunity for dialogue with the owner of a local logging company. Unfortunately, the science disagrees with your assertion that “all the carbon sequestered in a tree can be sequestered and stored in the products manufactured from the tree”. In fact, the evidence shows (see the end for literature cited and calculations) that roughly 15% of the total carbon of the tree is stored in wood products after 100 years. If you take into account the logging residue (roots, stumps, small limbs) that quickly decomposes in the clearcuts, the processing that doesn’t result in lumber (bark, fuelwood and pulp), loss in the mills, and finally waste in furniture manufacturing and construction, it’s obvious that not 100% of the carbon could be preserved in the wood products. And that’s also not including what happens to furniture and construction over the decades – how much of it ends up in landfills, where it is eventually converted into an even more potent greenhouse gas – methane? If you have credible sources of science-based information that contradicts this, I’m open to reading and learning!

Our focus is on the older, mature forests that have greater biodiversity and greater carbon sequestration than plantation forests. As you will have seen in the video of the rally you were at, the speakers repeatedly said that we’re not against all logging and understand the value of the timber industry to our neighbors and friends here on the Olympic Peninsula. If the DNR is able to purchase replacement plantation forests for timber harvests and preserve these few old legacy forests, while still compensating trust beneficiaries, would you support that? There’s funding in the draft WA state senate budget (Page 320, Part 29) that would provide for just that. I think that’s something we can all support!

“Amounts provided by this subsection for carbon sequestration on identified state trust lands must be used to compensate trust beneficiaries and purchase replacement forestland”

The new 2023 UN IPCC synthesis report on climate change drives home how urgent action is for reducing our carbon emissions. We’re already at 1.1C degrees and there is little time to slow down the increasing greenhouse effect. Preserving our older forests is one of our greatest assets toward keeping a livable climate for humanity and our children!

Thank you so much Stanley, we appreciate you taking the time to take action!

Thank you so much Sara! We appreciate your help and support saving them!