Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Forest Management Timber Sales topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forest Service releases plantation‑thinning draft EA; Little White sales, consultations and stewardship options discussed
Summary
U.S. Forest Service staff told Skamania County commissioners the commercial plantation‑thinning draft environmental analysis is out for public comment, with a July decision targeted and three sales planned in year one; USFWS consultation and stewardship versus traditional sale choices were raised.
The U.S. Forest Service on May 6 told Skamania County commissioners that a draft environmental analysis (EA) for a forest‑wide commercial plantation thinning and potential control line project is out for public comment and that a decision is targeted for July 2025.
"Our commercial, plantation, thinning, EA, forest wide, and potential control line draft environmental analysis is out for public comment," Forest Supervisor Johanna Calvert said. "We're looking for a July, July decision on that particular project."
Erin, a Forest Service project lead, briefed the board on project specifics for the Little White area, saying the agency expects three sales in the first year from that EA and that one of those sales will be implemented by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under a Good Neighbor Authority or similar arrangement. "Long term veg planning, we are... Little White is, rounding the corner. We should have a decision, this summer, and we'll have 3 sales coming out of that EA, this first year," Erin said.
Calvert and staff also described wildlife surveys and consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Forest Service said it conducted acoustic surveys that indicate a low likelihood of northern spotted owls in much of the watershed, and is asking USFWS about extending operating seasons if surveys support reduced restrictions. "We're pretty certain that there aren't owls in the majority of the watershed...so there's a lot of conversation right now with the US Fish and Wildlife Service about having longer operating seasons because of that," Erin said.
Commissioners asked how sales would be structured. Erin said decisions about stewardship contracts versus traditional timber sales will be made based on on‑the‑ground conditions and agency capacity; she said recent preference for straight timber sales has been driven partly by Forest Service capacity to assemble and administer contracts.
The Forest Service invited public feedback on the EA and offered to provide maps and a story map explaining the proposal. Officials also said they will hold a workshop for county leaders and stakeholders to explain the differences among sale mechanisms (traditional timber sale, stewardship, and Good Neighbor Authority arrangements) and how those choices affect revenue distribution, project timelines and post‑harvest obligations.
No binding county action was taken; the Forest Service asked the county and interested stakeholders to submit comments to the EA and to participate in follow‑up workshops.
