The fate of Washington’s cap-and-trade law, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), will be decided by voters this November.

Proponents of the law often claim that repealing the CCA would eliminate critical funding to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and make forests more resilient to climate change.

However, these claims don’t square up with how Olympia politicians have spent funds from the Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Account — the fund established under the CCA for these activities. In fact, during the first two years of spending from the NCS account, 72% of the funds have been used on forestry projects that do not reduce net carbon emissions.

Instead of spending CCA NCS funds on real climate solutions that reduce net carbon emissions including reforestation, forest health, and wildfire prevention, CCA funds have largely been spent to close Department of Natural Resources (DNR) forested state trust lands from sustainable timber harvesting, and to purchase private working forests as replacement lands. The result is a net loss of working forests for Washington.

Reducing harvests from DNR working forests means we either build with wood substitutes like concrete and steel (“substitution”) or ship our wood in from elsewhere (“leakage”). Both are bad for our climate and environment. A recent case study and other science shows how setting aside more DNR working forests will actually increase carbon emissions as the supply of Washington-made wood products is reduced and sequestration slows in older forests.

During a December 2, 2023 legislative work session, a career DNR official acknowledged that the CCA-funded set asides were unlikely to benefit our climate — particularly since the private working forests purchased as replacement lands weren’t at risk of conversion away from climate friendly sustainable timber management (i.e., development). Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who leads DNR, has also pointed out that efforts to shut down more DNR working forests are wrong on climate science.

CCA Natural Climate Solutions Account Spending on Forestry Projects:

Projects that fail to reduce net carbon emissions

$70 million – set aside 2,000 acres of DNR State Trust Lands, purchase of private working forests (2023)

$15 million –set aside additional DNR State Trust Lands, purchase of private working forests (2024)

$10.89 million – transfer of nine DNR state trust land parcels to other owners and uses, including a Spokane-area campground and sand dunes near Moses Lake (2024)

$5.8 million for grants to purchase private forests for two community forests (2024)

Total: $101.69 Million (72%)

Projects that will help reduce net climate emissions

$10 million – silviculture and thinning treatments to improve forest health and wildlife habitat on DNR state trust lands (2023)

$10 million – DNR Forest Riparian Easement Program to compensate small forestland owners, reducing pressure to convert their lands out of climate friendly forestry (2023)

$10 million – reforestation of burned DNR state lands, grants for burned private lands (2024)

$10 million – fuels reduction activities on DNR state trust lands to reduce fire risk, protect at- risk communities (2024)

Total: $40 Million (28%)

Washington-Grown Wood Products Are A Climate Solution

Under the state constitution and state and federal laws, timber sales on DNR state trust lands generate critical funding for public schools, public safety, health care and other community services, while supporting clean air, clean water, recreational opportunities, and other additional benefits. Sustainable timber management is already restricted on half of all state trust lands in western Washington under the Habitat Conservation Plan developed by state and federal scientists.

Scientists at the local and international level, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, recognize the climate benefits of forest management, timber harvest and the use of wood products. In its 4th Assessment, the IPCC found that, over the long-term, a forest management strategy “aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fiber or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.”

Setting aside more working forests may leads to more imports of wood products, more exports of family-wage jobs to countries with weak labor protections, and increased transportation-related emissions. IPCC’s 6th Assessment found that reduced harvest would have the unintended consequence of causing increased harvesting pressure and environmental degradation elsewhere. At the December 2023 COP28 Conference in Dubai, a coalition of 17 countries including the United States announced support to substantially increase the use of timber in construction as a ‘vital decarbonization strategy.’

About the American Forest Resource Council

AFRC is a regional trade association representing over 50 forest product businesses and forest landowners whose purpose is to advocate for sustained yield timber harvests on public timberlands throughout the West to enhance forest health and resistance to fire, insects, and disease. We do this by promoting active management to attain productive public forests, protect adjoining private forests, and assure community stability. We work to improve federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and decisions regarding access to and management of public forest lands and protection of all forest lands. AFRC strongly believes that healthy managed forests are essential to the integrity of both ecosystems and communities. For more information, visit amforest.org