Setting out a sustainable future for the Columbia Highlands

collaboration (coaction): 1. act of working jointly; “they worked either in collaboration or independently”

After several years of success that included resolution of some of the biggest timber sale challenges of the day, the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition embarked on a more ambitious endeavor, creating a holistic forest management proposal for the Columbia Highlands, comprised mostly of the million-acre Colville National Forest.

Fully aware that a process for revising the Colville National Forest plan was soon to get underway by the Forest Service, the coalition started charting its own course, forming a forest planning committee to negotiate and draft a management plan that would provide a balance across the forest and meet the needs of wildlife and local communities. Since then that plan or blueprint has been presented for approval by the coalition's sixteen-member board of directors.

Read the coalition's letter to the Forest Service explaining the "Blueprint for the Colville"

Frequently asked questions about the coalition's blueprint

Read the coalition's press release on the blueprint

Read the economic report prepared for the coalition by Headwaters Economics

Within a year after the Forest Planning Committee began its process, the management plan was finally completed and approved by the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition board.

A core principle of the blueprint is to establish a balance between timber management and conservation of clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities.

For a deeper look

 In brief, the blueprint outlines three different management zones in the forest:

• Responsible management areas. These stands cover approximately one-third of the forest near homes, communities, and the managed, roaded landscape. Responsible management areas would be managed to reduce and maintain low fire risk and provide a sustainable timber harvest using methods that conserve soils, water, and wildlife habitat. 
• Restoration areas. The coalition identified approximately one-third of the forest that would benefit from restoration. These are forests where thickets created by past management and fire exclusion has created dense thickets which can benefit from thinning. Thinning can help reduce fire risk to old trees, enhance the establishment of natural fire regimes, speed growth of small trees into big trees, and repair of important wildlife habitat. Where appropriate, construction and maintenance of trails will be components of restoration projects in these areas.
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• Wilderness. A final one-third of the forest meets the standards for wilderness quality landscapes. In the blueprint management objectives here include  maintaining or restoring wilderness characteristics, to provide secure wildlife habitat for lynx, grizzly bear, mule deer, and elk as well as backcountry recreation. The heart of the proposed wilderness is contained in sixteen inventoried roadless areas.  

A starting point for community dialog

The blueprint is a proposal for the Columbia Highlands that strikes the right balance for managing our forests in the future. It's a starting point for community dialog and the Northeast Washington Forest Coalition will be organizing opportunities, such as community forums, to get feedback on these ideas and solicit new ideas that will improve the management of the Colville National Forest. Before pursuing funding and authorities to make these ideas a reality, Conservation Northwest and the coalition wants to hear from the broader community to make this plan as strong as possible.