Collaborative effort brings balance

Envisioning 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 and the million-acre Colville National Forest of northeastern Washington.

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 has been presented for approval by the coalition's sixteen-member board of directors.

Read the coalition's letter and press release about the blueprint

Frequently asked questions about the coalition's collaborative process

Review an economic report on the proposed plan prepared by Headwaters Economics

A core principle of the blueprint is to establish a balance between timber management and conservation of clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities. The management proposal outlines three different management zones in the forest:

• Responsible management. These stands cover approximately one-third of the forest near homes, communities, and roads. 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. The coalition identified another approximate third of the forest that would benefit from restoration. Past management and fire exclusion has in many forests 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.
• Wilderness. A final 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 21 inventoried roadless areas.
  

For a deeper look...

Over five years and through a collaborative process the Northeast Washington Forest Coalition has created a management proposal for the Columbia Highlands that strikes the right balance for public forests on the Colville. It's an important starting point. Before pursuing funding and authorities to make these ideas a reality, Conservation Northwest and the coalition has sought opinions from the broader community to make the plan as strong as possible to benefit everyone.