In his first action as Commissioner of Public Lands, newly-inaugurated Dave Upthegrove announced on Friday an approximately six-month pause on 23 Washington State Department of Natural Resources timber harvests in complex mature forests, including the Suzie Q timberland in Grays Harbor County.

The Suzie Q property was set to go out for bid on March 27. The land is located about five miles southwest of Porter on 73 acres with Douglas Fir the dominant timber. The minimum bid was set at $936,000. The Auger In 64-acre timberland sale in Pacific County, about six miles west of Pe Ell, was also put on pause. The minimum bid on that property was set at $695,000.

During this pause, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will deploy cutting-edge technology to better identify and map the characteristics of the forests the agency manages to effectively meet DNR’s Policy for Sustainable Forests of conserving 10% to 15% of structurally complex forests.

“Forests define Washington — they are vital to our habitats, to our communities, and our economy,” said Commissioner Upthegrove. “I want to ensure that our forests will continue to work sustainably for the people of Washington for generations to come. This timeout will help us make that a reality.”

Older forests are critical as they store and sequester carbon, an important tool to address climate change. They also support biodiverse habitats and provide recreation opportunities.”

Over the next six months, DNR experts will develop the necessary criteria to protect these older forests while ensuring a sustained level of harvests that will produce the timber needed to build homes, hospitals and schools.

“I will also be using this time to meet with our beneficiaries, tribes, environmental groups, industry, and the public in a transparent process to get their input and build support for protecting these vital forests,” said Commissioner Upthegrove. “I know how essential timber is to Washington, and DNR foresters are on the cutting edge of ensuring harvests are done sustainably and responsibly. But with so much contention regarding recent timber sales, it’s apparent we need to stop, take a breath, and revisit how to meet the targets laid out in the agency’s timber management plans. This pause does not mean Washington will harvest less — it will simply lead to a change to where we harvest and the type of forests we conserve.”

The pause on sales applies to forests defined as Maturation II. That means they have an understory with diverse species growing beneath the canopy, small gaps appearing due to natural disturbances like wind, and a relatively low presence of large fallen logs or standing dead trees.

Protecting them is valuable for providing habitat, conserving carbon, and ensuring biodiversity across Washington’s forests.

DNR staff has identified 23 sales meeting these criteria planned for the first half of 2025. This constitutes 28% of all sale acres for 2025.

Some paused sales could be reconfigured and brought forward to auction once the criteria to exclude structurally complex forests that are critical to carbon storage and habitat biodiversity are developed.