We’re part of a new collaborative effort to restore forest health near Lake Wenatchee and reduce wildfire risks for nearby communities. By Jen Watkins, conservation associate A flagship effort since Conservation Northwest’s founding, for thirty years our Forest Field Program has used science and collaboration to promote the restoration of wildlands in Washington and beyond. We … Continued
Smoke-choked days are likely to become the standard for late summer in the Northwest. By Mitch Friedman, Founder and Executive Director Time was that I resisted travel in August and September, considering the Northwest to be the greatest place on Earth these months. Something has changed. If you’re in Seattle, the smoky days are about … Continued
With fires burning in the shrub-steppe of Central Washington this summer, we want to highlight the different roles fire plays in grasslands and forests. By Jay Kehne, Sagelands Program Lead We have learned a lot about the beneficial aspects of prescribed or controlled fires in forested environments, but recent wildfires in the sagebrush country of … Continued
A new study concludes that young plantation forests managed by industrial owners experienced higher severity fire than did nearby public forests. By GEORGE Wooten, Conservation Associate, Okanogan Forest Field Staff That is the conclusion of post-fire research on the 2013 Douglas Complex Fires in Oregon that burned over 48,000 acres, of which about half is … Continued
Perspective on the 2017 fire season from Dave Werntz, our Science and Conservation Director, who works out of our Twisp field office. Research shows that fire suppression and old-growth logging have transformed our fire-prone forests, increasing the risk of uncharacteristic fire events, especially under a changing climate. A combined approach of strategic thinning and prescribed … Continued
The bi-partisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2016 (HR 5650) would provide a dedicated funding source for rare and at-risk wildlife By Mitch Friedman, Executive Director and Paula Swedeen, Carnivore Policy Lead On July 7, Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced a historic bill to change the way America funds the … Continued
By George Wooten, Conservation Associate For two years in a row, Washington has experienced the largest fires in our state’s history. In especially dry conditions, fires burned across heavily logged industrial timber lands as well as pristine and managed national forests. But that’s only part of the story. These fires crossed a significant amount of … Continued
By Alaina Kowitz, Communications and Outreach Associate In the wake of the last two wildfire seasons, it’s easy to villainize fire. Last summer, fires blazed through over a million acres of federal, state, private, and tribal lands in Washington state, displacing thousands of people. These days, many of us living in fire-prone landscapes know that it is not … Continued
Editor’s Note: During the intense wildfire season of August and September 2015, we published a series of Dispatches from staff and colleagues that live or work in the areas impacted by the fires. Dispatch #12 and links to the full series can be found here. By Jen Watkins, Conservation Associate On November 9th I attended the Wildfires & Us … Continued
By Julia Spencer, Membership Manager Wildlife and people have a lot in common. You may have experienced living through a particularly bad fire season that endangered your community or tried to cross an extremely busy intersection without a cross walk – it’s scary. It’s the same for wildlife facing obstacles to safely move, whether away … Continued