Cascade Party
A new path in Washington State politics.
A new path in Washington State politics.
Environment
State board ruling puts timber county budgets in jeopardy.
By Krist Novoselić (November 25, 2025)
On November 12, the state’s Forest Practices Board voted to increase tree buffers next to non-fish bearing streams.
This change goes beyond impacting wild salmon, as rural counties reliant on excise taxes on timber sales will see their revenue drop. The new rule basically defunded local programs meeting human needs.
The Forest Practices Board (FPB) adopted new rules which impose larger buffer zones on private lands. The rules mandate no timber to be cut within 75 feet on each side of a stream — up from the previous 50 foot buffers.
These are for non-fish bearing streams. The idea is to shade these waterways to allow cooler water temperatures flow into areas where salmon are found.
The new rules take effect in August of 2026.
Human Needs Affected
The FPB’s new rules hit public coffers in rural timber counties hard.
In an October 16, 2025 letter to the FPB, Pacific County commissioners laid out the fiscal impact of the new buffer rules in no uncertain terms.
“In Pacific County alone, the regulation is predicted to result in an ‘immediate timber value loss’ topping at over $259 million and a timber excise tax revenue loss around $12.9 million with an estimated 11.9% reduction in harvestable timber. The Naselle, Willapa Valley, and North River School Districts rely extensively on timber revenue for their existence. There would also be noticeable reductions to the North Pacific County EMS District, Timberland Regional Library, Willapa Harbor Hospital, the Ports of Willapa and Ilwaco as well as many local fire districts. These are services provided to our residents that do not operate from a flush cash position. Every one of these types of changes impacts them in a very real way, which impacts Pacific County citizens in a very real way.”
The commissioners list the real human needs serviced through public programs.
Where is Everybody?
Our state's ruling party, along with its constellation of support groups, are quiet over this looming public funding crisis. Where are the unions, transit riders, education, public health and other social safety net advocates?
The FPB should not have approved the buffer zone rules. While the science behind the decision is not conclusive, the board also had a statutory path to protect vital rural public services.
Necessary and Overriding Public Interest Analysis
Final Tier II Antidegradation Analysis is one of the reports the FPB based its vote on. This document covers the scope of the decision, and includes the following on page 50,
“Information for the overriding public interest determination must include an assessment and statement of the costs and benefits of the social, economic, and environmental effects associated with the lowering of water quality*.”
Even the federal Clean Water Act considers community needs in the course of making new rules.
Pacific County’s letter to the board puts the social and economic public interest into perspective. There certainly was an out for FPB members concerned about funding public services.
Habitat Protection
Salmon are iconic in our state and it’s right and proper to protect them. Let’s have more fish in our rivers, streams and frying pans.
The Final Tier II Analysis cites, "tribal cultural values" as benefitting from the new rule (p. 53). Washington’s obligation to American Indian treaties already plays the major role in salmon habitat stewardship. A 2013 court ruling, with precedent to 1974’s landmark Boldt Decision, has forced our state to pay attention to salmon.
Culverts and tide gates under roads have been failing. This infrastructure was installed decades ago — before the general awareness that these drainage systems act as fish passage barriers.
According to the Seattle Times, in 2025,
“The state Legislature approved an additional $1.1 billion for court-ordered Department of Transportation culvert replacement projects, bringing the program’s roughly two-decade total to $5.2 billion.”
Salmon are resilient and infrastructure investments are key to restoring ecosystems where they can thrive.
Washington taxpayers are already funding salmon habitat in a big way. The FPB needlessly pushed county budgets in Western Washington towards peril.
Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove and Gov. Ferguson must somehow intervene with the FPB’s new rule to prevent harm to rural communties.
Rural timber counties are losing their independence and soon will have to go upstream to fund their social services.
There is no guarantee Olympia will restore the funding for rural services jeopardized by the consequences of the Forest Practices Board decision.
Rural counties will then find themselves like a fish out of water.
*(WAC 173-201A-320(4)(a))
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Andrea Watts, at the Aberdeen Daily World Buffers on non-fish perennial streams set to increase next year.
Jeff Clemens in the Chinook Observer Timber buffer increase OK’d amidst opposition.
Krist Novoselić is Cascade Party Chair. He serves on the board of directors in an at-large position. He served as Chair of Wahkiakum County Democratic Central Committee from 2005 until 2009.
