Cantwell, Murray Announce $44 Million for WA Forest Conservation Projects

12.14.24

Cantwell, Murray Announce $44 Million for WA Forest Conservation Projects

Mt. Adams to receive $36 million to protect 29,778 acres of forestland and 105 miles of streams

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that $44 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be going to seven forest conservation projects and organizations in Washington state. Funding for these grants come from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which Sens. Cantwell and Murray supported.

"Investing in Washington's working forests maintains local timber jobs and bolsters our outdoor recreation economy. This funding will help protect nearly 30,000 acres of forestland and 105 miles of streams near Mt. Adams - preserving important habitat for salmon and recreation access along the White Salmon and Klickitat Rivers," Sen. Cantwell said.

"Washington state's forests provide a wealth of benefits, from supporting regional economies to providing recreational opportunities and habitats for critical species," said Senator Murray. "I'm thrilled to announce this tranche of funding for seven critical forest conservation projects across our state that will make a big difference in their communities, and I'm especially excited about the $36 million going to complete the Mt. Adams Forest project. This is a major milestone in our work to permanently protect nearly 48,000 acres of forest-an area that is especially sacred to the Yakama Nation-as well as support the local forestry workforce, and make sure folks living nearby can take advantage of all the Mt. Adams Forest ecosystem has to offer. The Inflation Reduction Act Democrats passed that made these awards possible is paying huge dividends for Washington state-especially when it comes to tackling climate change and investing in critical conservation and restoration projects."

Funding for the following projects come from the USDA Legacy Forest Program, which Sens. Cantwell and Murray secured $700 million for in the Inflation Reduction Act.

$36,000,000 for Mt. Adams Forest Phase 3: The Mt. Adams Forest Phase 3 project will protect 29,778 acres of productive and connected forestland, completing the nearly 48,000-acre Mt. Adams Community Forest. The conservation easement will hold together a forested landscape with over 40 miles of adjacency to federal, state, and tribal lands located between the Wild and Scenic White Salmon and Klickitat Rivers. It supports a thriving forestry workforce, feeds three local mills, and secures public recreation access in support of the county's recreation economy. The project also protects 105 miles of streams, including the City of White Salmon's future drinking water source, and safeguards critical habitat for federally and state-listed species and culturally important game species.

$580,000 for Koblitz Red Mountain: This conservation easement will protect 240 acres of working forestland. The Red Mountain Forest is one of two easement acquisition tracts on Red Mountain that will provide a buffer from development pressure while connecting the two properties through a 3,700-acre block of land managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Protecting this working forest will produce a wide range of ecological and watershed benefits, while benefiting the local community.

$455,000 for Sanfi Acres: This conservation easement on the Maple Falls Forest will permanently protect 280 acres of working forestlands. The forest is actively managed by Janicki Logging Co. and is adjacent to 3,700 acres of land managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources. By protecting these working lands, the project will support local jobs, including 3 local mills that employ hundreds of workers, and protect water quality in a critical reach of the Nooksack watershed. The project will secure permanent public recreational access to a cherished part of the Baker Foothills, supporting Whatcom County's $705 million recreation economy.

The following Washington state projects received funding from the Forest Landowner Support Funding Opportunity: Landowner Cost Share Payment Programs for Climate Mitigation and/or Forest Resilience Practices Program:

$5,000,000 to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources: Washington State Department of Natural Resources will provide cost share payments to non-industrial private landowners to implement practices that increase forest health and resilience.

The following Washington state projects received funding from the USDA Forest Landowner Support Funding Opportunity: Supporting Underserved and Small-Acreage Landowner Participation in Emerging Private Markets Program:

$1,999,874 to the Consortium for Research on Renewable Materials (WA): This project will explore the effectiveness and replicability of Climate Action Reserve's biochar funding process for small forest landowners' fire resilience and forest health projects, converting waste biomass to biochar to reduce emissions and enhance soil health and drought resistance.

$1,997,468 to Sustainable Northwest (WA, CA, CT, ME, MA, NC, NH, OR, RI, TN, VA, VT): This project will aid Sustainable Northwest in their mission to increase transparency within the wood product supply chain. This grant would help Sustainable Northwest to increase its collaboration with tribes and facilitate Tribal access to green building markets in wood supply chains.

Washington state will also receive of portion of this funding from the Forest Landowner Support Funding Opportunity: Landowner Payment Programs for Carbon Stewardship Practices Program:

$4,999,883 to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. (WA, OR, ID, MI, MN, WI): The Sustainable Forestry Initiative will develop a payment-for-practice program to incentivize carbon stewardship on large-acreage forestlands in the Lake States and Pacific Northwest, including those managed by tribes and private companies. The projected impact includes treatment on 12,000 acres with a goal of over 2.8 million metric tons of total carbon CO2e (MMT CO2e) benefit within 10 years.

Sen. Cantwell is a strong advocate for preserving public lands, and she has a long history of securing funding to protect Washington's natural resources. Sen. Cantwell coauthored and cosponsored The Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law in August 2020 and fully, permanently authorized and funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and invested billions of dollars to address the maintenance backlog on public lands throughout Washington state and around the country. In her first term in the United States Senate, Sen. Cantwell championed legislation to permanently protect 20 miles of the upper White Salmon River and one of its tributaries, as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System.

Sen. Murray has been a longtime champion of Washington's public lands and natural resources - championing and passing into law major legislation to protect important wilderness areas, and securing federal funding for key forest conservation projects. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Murray negotiated and passed the government funding bills for fiscal year 2024-which included the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill that funds the Department of the Interior and determined the LWCF projects included in the final legislation.

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