Conservation News and Events:
6/21/2025 – Sherman Creek Legacy Forest Walk
by Betsy Norton
SSBA co-sponsored 2 Legacy Forest Walks with the Washington Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (WLFDC) in June/July. I was fortunate to go on the 1st, and Laurie Gneiding went on the 2nd one to represent SSBA. The Conservation Committee has been partnering with local groups advocating for legacy/mature/complex forest conservation as an effort to protect existing forest habitat for wildlife, and to retain what’s left of these legacy forests in reserve so they can become old-growth forest[1] habitat in the future. Both legacy and old-growth forests represent mature and complex habitat for wildlife and especially birds that can’t be replicated by commercial tree plantations. While the NW Forest Plan officially protects what’s left of the old-growth, legacy forests don’t have the same protections. Legacy forests are structurally complex, providing a diversity of high-quality forest micro-habitats and a host of ecosystem services that protect streams, soils, microbiomes and sequester carbon at a level not possible in commercially forested parcels. Mature, complex forest habitat is key for a diverse and large number of bird species, and conserving mature trees continues to be one of the best and most practical (cost-efficient) options for reducing carbon from the atmosphere – mitigating climate change.
[1] Note that Marbled Murrelet typically nest in shallow cavities of high (40ft+) branches of extremely tall old growth trees. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Marbled_Murrelet/lifehistory This is just one such species dependent on old-growth habitat.
Plantation Forest
The WLFDC guided us on a 3-mile walk in Capitol Forest above Bob Bammert Grove trailhead on the Lost Valley Trail, near Sherman Creek, to see DNR’s “Cakewalk” timber sale. We drove by many recently logged areas on the way up to the trailhead. Many had not yet been replanted, meaning they were largely clearcuts with orphaned ‘leave trees’ looking pretty lonely in small clumps on the landscape.
From the end of the logging road, the trail went through a plantation forest – about 20 years mature. Per LFDC since the plantation forests are optimized for timber production, the same species of trees are planted in a close matrix – designed to maximize tree height of their planted species, too close together to allow other trees or understory to grow. The plantations are thinned and herbicides applied to ensure that multiple levels of understory don’t intrude on the harvest species or siphon off soil and water needed to optimize the target species’ growth.
The plantation forest has a lot of vertical tree trunks and barren branches below the high canopy, all the way down to the blanket of sword ferns near the ground.
I really noticed how far I could see through the forest in this area – there was no dense vegetation preventing me (or predators, I imagine) from a view far into the forest.
In contrast (below) the legacy forest is densely packed at multiple levels of understory, interspersed by small clearings.
photo by Betsy Norton
Mature, Complex (“Legacy”) Forest
Past the plantation forest, we reached DNR’s State Lands’ “Cake Walk” timber sale area – as designated by WDNR[2]. Cake Walk is a mature, complex forest – it displays a complicated architecture: multiple levels of understory, downed and decaying logs and the different tree species hosted by them, small clearings, and many snags. This forest type is capable of providing habitat for many species of birds, insects, mammals – whole ecosystems. In addition, if left to grow, this forest could become future ‘old growth’, which is itself a precious and unique habitat.
In this legacy forest, biodiversity of plant and bird life picked up. The intensity of the Wilson’s Warbler was replaced by a symphony of Varied Thrush fluting us down this parcel, where much larger trees – a typical one measured 50’ DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) – were peppered into a forest that had multiple layers of understory at all levels up the very high upper canopy. It was in this section where our guides pointed out the phantom orchids rising from an area of decaying wood and moss. This forest is interspersed with small clearings offering ‘edge’ habitat, and many tall and shorter snags where different species of woodpeckers had obviously been active over the years. Pacific Wrens, Swainsons’ Thrush, Wilson’s Warblers, Warbling Vireo, Western Flycatcher, and Steller’s Jays mixed it up in here as well. (Laurie’s walk also found Black-throated Gray Warblers, Cedar Waxwings and Spotted Towhees.)
[2] DNR’s “Cake Walk,” “Carrot” and “Evergreen Gold” timber sales are all sales in Capital State Forest which LFDC is actively challenging. The LFDC’s pictures are much better than mine – see https://www.wlfdc.org/carrot
The salmonberries (above right) were very sweet,
Our group included friends and advocates for legacy forests, many with special knowledge of the flora and fauna – and of course, the birds – along the trail.
LFDC organized and led the walk.
Except as noted, all photographs by Kyle Krakow, WLFDC
Advocate for Legacy Forest Habitat – Washington Legacy Forest Defense Coalition
The WLFDC and their friends regularly write to the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) and attend their monthly meetings, where decisions are made on which of the parcels to harvest. While the WDNR has policies aimed at conserving legacy forests, their actions seem to fall short of meeting those goals. In these meetings, the board explicitly approves specific forest ‘projects’ (like “Cake Walk”) for auction (logging), so this is the point at which legacy forest parcels can be conserved. In exchange for holding these legacy parcels in reserve, WDNR can replace [conserved stand] beneficiary revenue, by swapping out legacy parcels for younger plantation stands or by reserving these parcels specifically for carbon sequestration, projects which can be reimbursed from the WA State Climate Commitment act’s carbon market[3], or just keep it as a living asset, among other options. We advocate they choose one of these alternate paths, in order to conserve the legacy forests.
WLFDC urges everyone to write to, attend, or speak at the Board (BNR) meetings for legacy forest parcels which are on the chopping block. While there have been occasional wins here for conservation, it is an ongoing challenge to save this high-quality forest habitat for all the species that depend on it, so we encourage SSBA members to join this advocacy.
What you can do:
- Follow and support the Washington Legacy Forest Defense Coalition: Go on a forest walk with the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition to learn more about legacy forests and stay apprised of what’s coming up next that needs your help – conservation action. For more information, please visit their site here: https://www.wlfdc.org/
- Advocate for legacy forests by writing to or speaking at the Board of Natural Resources monthly meetings (1st Tuesday), where specific forest parcels are approved for harvest. You can attend in person at the Natural Resources Building on the capitol campus or can participate via Zoom. There’s a lottery (!) to be given a speaking slot, so check out this page at least 2 weeks before a meeting for registration and details: https://dnr.wa.gov/dnr-boards-and-commissions/board-natural-resources
It’s good to have friends and allies who are also looking out for habitat and biodiversity. We thank the WLFDC for their work, and for guiding these beautiful forest walks!
[3] https://www.wlfdc.org/dnr-carbon-project – using forest parcels as carbon sink assets in the Carbon Market.
