Washington State Department of Natural Resources Archives

Washington deals with peak fire season conditions, state agencies ready to respond

By Lauren Gallup July 19, 2024

The Pioneer fire, the state's biggest right now, has burned over 26,000 acres in Chelan County.

Everyone watching fires around Washington this week held their breath as about 600 lightning strikes hit the landscape across the state. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources, who, alongside agency partners, prepared for those conditions this week by pulling in out-of-state resources and pre-positioning crews. The lightning strikes ignited at least two Read More

Samish Indian Nation cleans up over a million pounds of marine debris, more to go

By Lauren Gallup March 12, 2024

The Samish Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources works to clean up debris off the shoreline. (Credit: Samish Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources)

It’s that time of year when flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and crews working for the Samish Indian Nation are scouting shorelines within the San Juan archipelago, looking for marine debris. Read More

Washington Department of Natural Resources pauses King County timber auction

By Lauren Gallup July 26, 2023

On Monday, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) decided to pause an auction of 102 acres of public, forested lands to harvest for timber in King County that had been scheduled for Tuesday. King County council members wrote a letter to Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and the Board of Natural Resources last week, urging them to defer the auction. Read More

Washington bill could allow Department of Natural Resources to sell carbon credits

By Courtney Flatt February 13, 2023

Forested area in Washington. CREDIT: Connor Henricksen Listen (Runtime 1:07) Read In the eyes of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, one big thing is missing from the state’s […]Read More

Whatcom County makes no forest conservation recommendation, seeks clarity from DNR

By Lauren Gallup January 12, 2023

The Whatcom County council approved 5-2 to send a letter to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, saying that are not ready to issue specific recommendations on Phase II of the department's carbon project. Image captured by Lauren Gallup.

The Whatcom County Council made no specific recommendations on which county timberlands to conserve for the next phase of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ carbon offset project. In the letter, the council affirmed its commitment to work with the department, and instead of offering recommendations, asked the DNR to provide more information about the Read More

Judge rules DNR violated environmental policy; department amends 5 timber sales

By Lauren Gallup November 3, 2022

Part of the Box of Rain timber sale that the Washington State Department of Natural Resources approved to go to auction in December.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources violated state environmental laws when it failed to account for climate change, according to a Jefferson County Superior Court ruling. Last week, a superior court ruled the Washington Department of Natural Resources violated the state’s environmental protection act procedures in its preparation for two timber sales. Read More