Our WFFA Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Oneil, is featured in this King 5 news report on Commissioner Franz's proposed "Keep Washington Evergreen" Plan. This initiative would create framework and secure funding for conservation of one million acres of working and natural forests, as well as reforestation of one million acres across Washington.
Please click on the link to the video that aired on King 5's November 30, 2021 broadcast.
Keep Washington Evergreen aims to conserve one million acres of working forests, while reforesting an additional one million acres, including in burn scared and urban communities with disproportionately small amounts of tree cover, by 2040. The initiative was developed in close consultation with stakeholders, including Tribal partners, environmentalists, conservation groups, environmental justice advocates, and members of the forest products industry.
Commissioner Franz is partnering with the Legislature to develop a 20-Year strategy, establish a stakeholder advisory group, and make an initial investment of $25 million in capital funds to help meet the goals of Keep Washington Evergreen. The $25 million will be used to acquire critical forestlands at risk of development and keep working forests working for all of Washington.
Keep Washington Evergreen directs the Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies to work with a diverse set of partners and stakeholder groups to identify and prioritize the most threatened working forests in Washington to prevent their conversion and to prioritize landscapes with the greatest need for reforestation efforts. The Washington State legislature will hear the Keep Washington Evergreen legislation during the 2022 legislative session.
Wonderful support from King 5 for our state's forests, our small forest landowners and WFFA!