Forests at Work
Thoughtful perspectives on working forests, wood products, forest policy, and the people and communities connected to them.
Explore articles from Forests at Work, a Substack publication from Hampton Lumber. The publication reflects our perspective and experience, with articles written by people who work directly in forestry, wood products, public policy and rural communities. Select an article below to read the full piece and subscribe for free on Substack.
A Costly Promise Without a Plan: Upthegrove Scrambles to Fund DNR's Forest Set-asides
Chris Walton
Washington Commissioner of Public Lands (CPL), Dave Upthegrove is asking lawmakers to fund his decision to keep 55,000 acres of state trust land out of harvest plans. His proposal offers uncertain replacements for DNR’s lost revenue and leaves mills, workers, counties, and forest communities out of the financial equation entirely. Before lawmakers agree to cover the costs, they should first ask whether the underlying policy makes sense.
Governor’s Veto of State Forest Bill in California Deserves Attention
Dave Kunert
California isn’t exactly known for being a state that prioritizes the needs of the timber industry. That’s why it was noteworthy to see Governor Newsom, whose political career has been defined by ambitious climate and environmental policies, veto a bill this week that would have further restricted logging and active forest management in California’s demonstration state forests.
My Case Against Bamboo Toilet Paper
Kristin Rasmussen
Recently while shopping, I stumbled upon a towering display of bamboo toilet paper in the housewares section that practically radiated environmental virtue. Bamboo is better for the planet so skip the trees and save a forest. At least, that was the impression. But for shoppers in the Pacific Northwest, that story is a lot more complicated.
Are State Forests out West Going Broke?
Dave Kunert
State forests in Washington and Oregon have long generated revenue for forest management, public services and rural communities. But recent policy decisions are reducing timber harvest without fully accounting for the financial, economic or environmental consequences. Dave Kunert argues that major changes to forest management should include an honest assessment of both the costs and the benefits.
I support rescinding the Roadless Rule, but not for the reasons you might think
Dave Kunert
Changes to federal forest policy—especially those involving access and timber harvesting—can trigger passionate reactions from a wide variety of interest groups. I’d like to try to cut through some of the noise and rhetoric to provide my honest assessment of the Administration’s recent move to rescind the Roadless Rule, which has restricted road construction and timber harvesting on roughly 30 percent of national forest land since 2001. While some fear this will open the floodgates to unchecked logging, I see it differently.