A planned timber sale on Department of Natural Resources forestland in northeast Clark County that is opposed by neighbors has been postponed — but only for a few months.
The so-called Dabbler sale includes 156 acres of timber on five parcels within the historic Yacolt Burn area. Even though the land provides habitat for federally protected spotted owls, a department report states harvesting the timber will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment. Department officials have said the state has more spotted owl habitat than is required under the Endangered Species Act.
The sale was originally scheduled for the state Board of Natural Resources’ September meeting but was postponed to Nov. 21 after officials realized the required environmental impact analysis was not completed correctly. The sale will require about 600 feet of road construction, 7,500 feet of road rebuilding and 25,550 feet of pre-haul maintenance, which means the state must complete a full environmental analysis of the project before it can move forward.
Jim Oliver, director for the Center for Responsible Forestry, said the land is a remnant of the original rainforest — regenerated since the 1902 Yacolt Burn — that contains the kind of mature trees and old-growth forest habitat spotted owls need for nesting. He said there’s no such thing as surplus habitat when talking about a species known to be in decline.
Public meeting
Who: Washington Board of Natural Resources
What: Sale of 156 acres of timber within the historic Yacolt Burn area
When: 10 a.m. Nov. 21
Where: Department of Natural Resources Pacific Cascade Region office, 601 Bond Road, Castle Rock
Information: https://clbn.us/Dabblersale
Along with the Center for Responsible Forestry, other environmental groups, including Legacy Forest Defense Coalition and Vancouver Audubon Society have also opposed the sale.
“It seems like DNR is working at odds to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which completed a status review of the northern spotted owl last year and is trying to recover the species,” Susan Saul from Vancouver Audubon Society said in an Aug. 13 email.
Volunteers and staff have hosted “forest walks” at the site, inviting local officials and residents to see the property first-hand. They also lobbied the Clark County Council to intervene, sending hundreds of emails and letters since the sale was announced in August.
For a time, it looked like the council might step in.
During the council’s Aug. 28 meeting, Councilors Gary Medvigy, Sue Marshall and Glen Yung voted in favor of sending a letter to DNR asking for more information about the sale and what other options, such as a land swap or purchase, might be available. On Wednesday, Medvigy told the council he and Marshall met with DNR officials and he now thinks the sale should move forward.
“They had half a dozen of their expert scientists, forest managers. They were incredibly responsive to providing us answers,” Medvigy said Friday regarding the meeting. “I have changed my vote and basically removed my support (for sending the letter).”
Medvigy said the land has all the attributes of a good stand to be harvested and meets all state and federal rules. He also said the land has been logged previously. He said this property is much different than other land exchanges or sales, including the 80-acre swap near Moulton Falls done in 2023.
“A big difference they pointed out … that was done to protect a trail, to protect a recreation area, to protect the East Fork Lewis River. It had a lot of attributes that cried out for preserving it. This stand has none of those attributes,” Medvigy said.
Vancouver resident Tonya Enger is one of the volunteers leading forest walks and helping to organize opposition to the sale. She said she wasn’t happy with the county council’s change of heart, and she won’t stop fighting to halt the sale.
“I’m just a little disappointed I didn’t get a chance to follow up with (Medvigy) before a decision was made,” Enger said Friday.
