The state Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on a proposed timber sale sited on 89.2 acres on the Van Zandt Dike plateau in the foothills of the Cascades, while a Whatcom County conservation group is calling for the public to oppose the logging.
The four stands of trees that collectively make up the Little Lilly Timber Sale are mostly composed of Douglas fir, ranging in age from around 60 to 160 years old based on the DNR State Environmental Policy Act report. Logging operations will follow the “leave tree strategy” which retains a scattering of the oldest trees and snags in the harvest area.
Of the 140 acres originally assessed for sale, DNR is conserving 51 acres because of unstable slopes and proximity to riparian areas or wetlands. According to the SEPA report, the Nooksack Tribe and Lummi Nation were notified about the proposal in January and did not raise concerns.
Local conservation nonprofit RE Sources is comparing the Little Lilly Timber Sale to another proposed project on the Middle Fork Nooksack River, Brokedown Palace — logging on 75 acres that was originally set for 2022 but was delayed multiple times before being canceled at the end of 2023 when the land was set aside for conservation with funds from the Climate Commitment Act.
Some of the trees in Little Lilly are older than those in the Brokedown Palace stand. RE Sources said in a news release that members of the Whatcom Forest Watch coalition have identified the Little Lilly sale as being made up in large part by mature, naturally regenerated forest that wasn’t replanted after harvest. RE Sources argues losing that forest would impact water filtration, flood regulation, summer water supply and climate benefits.
RE Sources also notes that the sale units border buffer zones of marbled murrelet nesting sites. The seabird, which flies inland to nest in old-growth forests, is listed by the state as an endangered species.
The revenue generated by timber sales like Little Lilly goes toward state trust beneficiaries, including local school districts, rural libraries, emergency responders and local universities. Following the sale, DNR plans to replant the area with native conifer.
The auction is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30. Comments on the proposed sale must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, and should include the file number, 24-080101. They can be submitted via email to sepacenter@dnr.wa.gov or by mail to P.O. Box 47015, Olympia, Washington, 98504-7015.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
