Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) is an organization of small forest landowners.
Our goals are:
- to provide educational programs for our members to help them manage their forest land better;
- to be a voice representing small forest landowners in Olympia;
- to promote fair taxation and regulation on the federal, state, and local government levels so that forest management can continue for generations to come;
- to increase public awareness of family-owned forests.
Looking for a Great Gift Idea?
Purchase Gift Memberships for your adult children as part of your succession planning! Encourage the next generation of Stewards of the Land.
Upcoming Chapter Events
- April 8: South Sound - Meeting cancelled
- April 17: Whatcom - Chapter Annual Meeting. Meeting cancelled - Details to follow.
- April 21: Lewis - Meeting cancelled
Upcoming State-wide Events
May 11-13: 2020 WFFA Annual Meeting and Weyerhaeuser Field Tour of Mount St. Helens - Heathman Lodge, Vancouver – Hosted by the Clark and Cowlitz Chapters - Growing Outside the Box, People Make the Difference and Let Nature Sing
Annual Meeting Postponed Until April 2021
Due to the increasing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus outbreak in Washington State, and its potential impact on the health of our members and their ability to attend if group sizes are still limited by a Governor’s order, the Washington Farm Forestry Association Executive Board voted to postpone the 2020 Annual Meeting scheduled for May 11-13th in Vancouver, Washington. We plan to carryover the planning for this event to the spring of 2021, so look for the same great program next year.
For those who are already registered, you should have received an email or phone call regarding your options for carryover or refund of your registration fees. If you have any questions please call Kelly at 360-388-7074 or email [email protected].
Our bylaws and state law require us to hold an annual business meeting to retain our non-profit status. Look for details on how we plan to conduct our annual business meeting in the Landowner News that is slated to reach your mailbox by June 1. That Landowner News will include our annual report, a ballot for the slate of state officers, and a ballot on the updated bylaws. We will be reminding you at that time to please take the time to offer your input on the future of WFFA.
March 28: Bigleaf Maple Syrup Workshop - UW Pack Forest, Eatonville - POSTPONED - Due to concerns about COVID-19, this event is postponed until further notice.
Morning: Field Tour of the Bigleaf Maple Syrup Research Site – Pack Forest – Greg Ettl, UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences
Lunch at the Pack Forest Learning Center
Afternoon: Bigleaf Maple Syrup Project Research Goals and Objectives – Indroneil Ganguly, UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; Q&A with Mike Ferrell of New Leaf Tree Syrups; Round Robin Discussion of what is working and not working for those that actively tap bigleaf maple in our region
Please contact Elaine Oneil at [email protected] with any questions. RSVP is required to attend this event; contact [email protected].
The 2020 Steven D. Stinson Leadership in Natural Resources Scholarship - WFFA is proud to announce the 2020 offering of the Steven D. Stinson Leadership in Natural Resources Scholarship. This is the fifth annual offering, made available to WFFA members, families and affiliates. The scholarship is a maximum of $4,500 split between college students majoring in natural resources and Ag-Forestry Leadership Program applicants. Click on the 2020 scholarship announcement for details. The due-date for scholarship applicants is March 9, 2020, and the award will be announced at our WFFA Annual Meeting on May 12, 2020.
Visit our Upcoming Education Events page for a list of opportunties to improve your land stewardship.
Did you miss the WFFA 2019 Annual Meeting and
Field Tour in Silverdale?
The theme was the 20th Anniversary of Forests and Fish - Past, Present & Future.
Moderated by Ken Miller, participants on three panels discussed:
- The History of Forests and Fish
- Resource Protection under Forests and Fish
- Economic and Social Viability Under Forests and Fish
Luke Rogers provided information on the small landowner database and Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen talked about Sustaining Family Forests at the evening banquet.
All of these presentations can be viewed here.
2019 Steven D. Stinson Leadership in Natural Resources Scholarship Award Winners - At our WFFA 2019 Annual Meeting Fae Marie Beck, Steve's mom, was pleased to announce the winners of this year's scholarship. Please visit the Stinson Scholarship page to learn more about our awardees, Colleen Purefoy, Justin Stanley and Dylan Streeter.
MEET A WFFA MEMBER
O'Neill Pine Company, owned by Richard and Debra Pine and their family, were recently named Washington State Tree Farmers of the Year for 2019. Their award was presented by Vicki Christiansen, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, who attended the Washington Farm Forestry Association Annual Meeting and Washington Tree Farm Program Awards Luncheon where the ceremony took place.
Watch a video about their tree farm to learn more. You also can visit their web site which also leads you to drone views of several of their parcels on their YouTube channel.
NATIONAL OUTSTANDING TREE FARMERS OF THE YEAR! The New Family, 2018 Washington State Tree Farmers of the Year, were named Western and then National Outstanding Tree Farmers by the American Tree Farm System. Their Nourse Tree Farm in Arlington, WA, has been in their family for 76 years. Watch a video about them or read more in their application and this magazine article. Congratulations to the New Family for receiving this recognition!