We, the undersigned, call on Washington State leaders to take actions that will STOP ALL CLEAR-CUTTING OF STATE FOREST LANDS FOR TEN YEARS. The urgency of impending climate catastrophe outweighs all other considerations regarding our forests. We understand that livelihoods and the state's funding are linked to the current way our state manages its forests. But we can no longer afford to maintain the present system at the expense of the planet’s greater survival. Destructive wildfires have become routine, their smoke choking our towns and cities; summers are hotter and drier; hemlocks and cedars are dying: climate change is already with us. The time has come to direct all possible resources toward realistic solutions for preserving the precious ecosystem that sustains life.

A 10-year moratorium on clear-cutting can help offset 52.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from the present Washington State carbon footprint and restore the health of the forests, soil, water, air and all species that depend on forests for habitat and food. The moratorium on clear-cutting does not advocate ceasing all timber harvesting. Clear-cutting has involved large-scale application of toxic herbicides. The use of sustainable alternatives will promote the recovery of habitat critical to the health of soil, wildlife, streams and sea life, including salmon and orcas —ultimately, every aspect of the natural environment. The elimination of toxic herbicides also protects human health. The tribal nations of Washington State are the original stewards of the environment, living with the natural world in mutuality, not exploitation. Just as indigenous people’s identities, health, and survival depend on nature in balance, so does the survival of all Washingtonians. A moratorium on clear-cutting might seem like an inconceivable social and economic shift. But if the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it is that when a great crisis occurs, citizens and leaders are capable of marshaling the will for great, and rapid, change.

For more information, contact Kitsap Environmental Coalition: www.kitsapenvironmentalcoalition.org or info@kitsapenvironmentalcoalition.org  
SPONSORS:
Kitsap Environmental Coalition
350 West Sound Climate Action
Mason County Climate Justice