New riparian buffer zone rules bad for schools and rural economies, says Rep. Hunter Abell
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New riparian buffer zone rules bad for schools and rural economies, says Rep. Hunter Abell
‘Rural Washington deserves forest policy rooted in reality, not political posturing,’ says Abell
The Washington Forest Practices Board voted 7-5 last week to increase riparian buffer zones along fishless streams. Critics, including Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium, say the decision will remove millions of dollars’ worth of harvestable timber from production and place additional burdens on rural economies that depend on the state’s natural resources for family-wage jobs.
Washington state’s Forests and Fish law, enacted more than 25 years ago, established a collaborative process for landowners, tribes, local governments, and various stakeholders to have input that balanced environmental concerns with the need to protect sustainable forestry practices. Now, with the new decision by the Forest Practices Board, this partnership that has guided Washington’s responsible forest management is at risk.
Abell, who represents the largest, most rural legislative district in the state, issued the following statement in response to the board’s misguided actions:
“The Forest Practices Board’s vote is deeply irresponsible, politically-driven, and completely disconnected from the realities of rural Washington — especially the communities of the 7th Legislative District that depend on working forests for jobs and local revenue.
“This rule change removes yet another portion of our harvestable timber base, not because of compelling science, but because a narrow majority of the board chose ideology over evidence. Their decision will drain funding from rural schools, worsen the challenges districts already face in paying for school construction, and further erode the family-wage jobs that keep small towns alive. People in my district — Colville, Chewelah, Newport, Republic, Tonasket, Omak, Winthrop, and every community in between — will feel the impact of this overreach almost immediately.
“For more than two decades, the Forests and Fish framework has shown that collaborative, science-driven management can protect streams while still sustaining rural economies. Instead of honoring that balance, the board cast it aside — sidelining small forest landowners, jeopardizing mills, and weakening the economic backbone of the region.
“Rural Washington deserves forest policy rooted in reality, not political posturing. I’m calling on the board to rethink this decision and return to real collaboration — the kind that safeguards both our natural resources and the livelihoods of the people who have responsibly managed these forests for generations.”
