American Forest Resource Council

06/23/2026

Nothing goes to waste. 🌲
At Southport, we believe responsible forestry means making the most of every resource. Residual wood fiber is transformed into valuable products that support jobs, local communities, and a more sustainable future.

06/23/2026

New Episode- Dr. Norm Johnson is Professor Emeritus at Oregon State University and played a key role in the development of the Northwest Forest Plan. More than 30 years later, he and Debbie Johnson have released a report examining the Forest Service's proposed amendment to the plan.

We discuss what the plan got right and wrong, lessons learned from three decades of implementation, and how the Forest Service can modernize the plan to produce more timber, reduce wildfire risk, and sustain the many values and benefits people expect from public lands.

Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts or listen here: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/4SEXPZXe53b

Download the full report with detailed charts and graphs: https://tinyurl.com/JohnsonNWFP

06/19/2026

AFRC Washington State Manager Matt Comisky recently joined the Washington DNR Forest Health Advisory Committee for a tour of forest health projects and wood products manufacturing in northeast Washington.

The committee visited one of the first Forest Improvement Treatments completed on DNR trust lands more than 20 years ago and a restoration project in an overstocked lodgepole pine forest managed by DNR and Stevens County.

The tour concluded at AFRC member Vaagen Bros. Lumber in Colville, where committee members saw how active forest management and local manufacturing work together to support healthier forests, rural jobs, and wildfire resilience.

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

In a recent op-ed, AFRC President Travis Joseph discusses why proactive forest management remains one of the most effective tools available to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest resilience.

Read the full piece: https://tinyurl.com/ymvuehbs

06/15/2026

Tom Partin writes in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle about the Bear Palmer Project and why proactive forest management is needed to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and protect the community of Jardine near Yellowstone.

Read the op-ed: https://tinyurl.com/474n2sjc

06/12/2026

New Issue! Our June 2026 newsletter covers Forest Service reorganization, federal timber and wildfire policy, Northwest Forest Plan updates, major litigation, Washington state trust lands, and all the latest from AFRC!

Download the full newsletter here:
https://tinyurl.com/AFRCNewsJune26

06/11/2026

Washingtonians are being asked to pay more and accept less.

DNR is blaming the Legislature for campground and trail closures. At the same time, Commissioner Upthegrove is pursuing plans to shut down tens of thousands of acres of working forests while spending $150,000 to study carbon offset markets that he admits generate "pennies on the dollar" compared to sustainable timber harvests.

As revenue from working forests declines, communities receive fewer services and taxpayers are left paying higher costs.

06/08/2026

"He should keep in mind the beneficiaries he represents, including the many schools around this state that are suffering as timber revenue declines."

The Seattle Times editorial board is raising concerns about efforts to second guess professional foresters and interfere with Washington's timber sale planning process.

The editorial also highlights a reality many rural communities already know: declining timber harvests mean less revenue for schools and other trust beneficiaries that depend on these lands.

State trust lands were established to support public schools and community services. As timber revenues continue to decline, those impacts are becoming harder to ignore.

As a Natural Resources board member, Chris Reykdal’s job is to set policy, not nitpick timber sales state staff analyze before he casts an impulsive judgment.