HomeMy WebLinkAbout081022 Penny Wise timber sale________________________________
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Dear Jefferson County Board of Commissioners,
I recently learned that the BNR approved the Penny Wise timber sale. This forest is important to our community, and I am disappointed that the Jefferson County BOCC sent a letter to
DNR that reversed their position on Penny Wise. I ask that you reconsider and that you urge DNR to protect this 98 year old naturally regenerated legacy forest! At the very least, request
DNR to remove unit 7 from the harvest plan, use Variable Density Thinning for other units, and mandate that no herbicides be used post-harvest due to the potential downstream water
quality impacts.
While I am sad about Penny Wise, I am encouraged by your desire to create a new Jefferson County forest plan for DNR to follow. Jefferson County could be a leader in the state for protecting
legacy forests and managing forests based on our forests' ability to mitigate the effects of climate change. Please create a plan that includes a request to DNR: why not start an Endowment
Fund that generates predictable revenue for Junior Taxing Districts through financial investments?
Please also ask DNR why they don't hedge timber prices with lumber futures, again in the interests of generating more predictable revenue that is insulated from timber price shocks?
DNR describes itself as a commodity business, but don't commodity businesses hedge price risk with futures? Shouldn't you demand more of your fiduciary?
Thanks,
Robert Mitchell
Olympia, Wa