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Panel marks 25 years of Washington's Forest and Fish law, urges renewed collaboration
Summary
At a WFPA panel, former lawmakers, tribal leaders and industry representatives marked the 25th anniversary of Washington's Forest and Fish law and the 50th anniversary of the Bolt decision, saying cooperation saved salmon habitat and urging renewed efforts to pass institutional memory to new leaders.
A panel at a Washington Forest Protection Association event reflected on the origins and legacy of the state's Forest and Fish framework and called for renewed, cross-sector collaboration to keep co-management working.
Moderator Renee Sinclair, president and CEO of TVW, opened by screening a documentary built from oral histories about the United States v. Washington (the "Bolt" decision) and the collaborative processes that followed. "We want to take a very quick look back at the fiftieth anniversary of Bolt and the 25th anniversary of Forest and Fish," she said, framing the session as both retrospective and forward-looking.
The panel traced how early conflict over fisheries and land use gave way to negotiated solutions. JT Wilcox described a personal turning point after meeting tribal leader Billy Frank Jr., saying the encounter "took the threat away" and led his family to change farm practices to reduce pollution. "He forced us to change," Wilcox said of his father's conversion to collaborative work.
Former state lawmaker Jim Buck discussed the legislative process that enshrined Timber, Fish & Wildlife and the Forest and Fish plan into statute, noting broad stakeholder agreement eased passage. He urged renewed attention to statutory implementation, observing that the relevant state code citation spoken in the session was unclear in the record.
Jason Spadaro, representing the industry association on the panel, framed Forest and Fish implementation as "a partnership" that requires sustained commitment. "When the leaders that helped drive the conversation are not as active any longer, it's our responsibility to carry that forward," he said, warning that turnover and a growing number of stakeholders make consensus harder to reach.
Lonnie, joining virtually, emphasized mentorship and institutional memory. "You have to be at the table," she said. "There's no such thing as isolation when it comes to your community," and she urged older leaders to remain patient and teach newer leaders the history and values that underpinned co-management.
During audience Q&A, panelists acknowledged that while many of the major fights have subsided, disputes have shifted to narrower and sometimes more technical issues. Panelists agreed that lawsuits and new stakeholders can complicate localized bargaining and that re-educating incoming policymakers is important. Practical advice included developing legislation collaboratively before filing and creating issue-specific tables where basin-level participants can solve problems among themselves.
The session closed with each panelist offering a single lesson for incoming legislators: be civil and build relationships (Buck); avoid burning bridges and cultivate bipartisan, in-person relationships (Wilcox); design bills that show both sides are in agreement to ensure long-term implementation (Lonnie and Spadaro). The panel concluded with thanks and a reminder that sustaining co-management requires continued relationship-building across generations.
