Tag: FSC certified

Great Peninsula Conservancy

Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) just completed the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification process for Grovers Creek Preserve! Acquired by the Conservancy in 2015, the 197-acre preserve near Poulsbo boasts 60 acres of rare older growth forest including stands of western hemlock, Sitka spruce, western redcedar, and Douglas-fir. There are even 11.5 acres of late successional forested peat bog. These diverse habitats support beaver, black bear, mink, otter, salamanders, frogs, and more than 60 bird species. The forest surrounds a stretch of Grovers Creek, which provides habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed winter steelhead as well as coho and cutthroat. “GPC purchased

Cedar Row Farm

Eve Lonnquist can often be found working in the woods, just like her grandmother, who bought Cedar Row Farm in 1919 for $2000 and planted its namesake row of cedars. Nestled in the Nehalem River foothills, the 160-acre forest is stewarded by Eve, her two brothers and her partner Lynn Baker. The family enjoys taking care of the land and balances multiple goals, including recreation and income from timber harvest as well as providing wildlife habitat. They are FSC-certified through NNRG’s group certificate and are members of the Oregon Woodland Cooperative, selling bundled firewood to grocery stores around the Portland

Central Cascades Forest

The 46,000 acres of forestland spanning Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum known as the Central Cascades Forest (CCF) is now Forest Stewardship Council®-certified, through NNRG’s group certificate. It’s the Northwest’s largest jump in certified forestland since the City of Seattle’s Cedar River watershed earned FSC certification in 2011. The CCF is managed by The Nature Conservancy in Washington, which takes a comprehensive approach to stewarding lands. Management goals for the forest include improving wildlife habitat, producing a sustained yield of wood products, increasing climate resilience, providing clean water, bolstering local communities, and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. “We are excited to recognize this important

Blakely Island Timber

Up in the San Juans Islands, our Forest Stewardship Council®-certified member Blakely Island Timber cares for more than 2,200 acres on namesake Blakely Island. Harvesting timber is a tool to achieve their goal of stewarding the forest with a healthy, productive long into the future. Douglas-fir grows much more slowly in the San Juans than on the mainland, creating stronger wood with tighter rings and greater contrast between light spring bands and dark summer ones. This beautiful wood is harvested according to FSC® standards. BIT does all of its own processing, milling, drying, and manufacturing on site using an energy-efficient

Member Spotlight: Butler Family Forest

Paul Butler has had a life-long love of forests. Now that he and his wife steward their own forest they’ve taken steps to care for and enjoy their land. Paul tells us how his relationship with his woods has deepened over time and what actions he’s taking to make the forest healthy.

Forest Certification is a Global Movement

I’ll admit that I traveled to the worldwide General Assembly of the Forest Stewardship Council meeting last month in Vancouver, BC with a smidgen of skepticism. As I’ve re-immersed myself in ecological forestry since taking the helm at NNRG in June, I’ve been chagrined to learn that 15- and 20-year-old challenges are still dogging the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) in the Pacific Northwest: sparse interest from lumber mills and the difficulty connecting consumer demand with landowner supply — the so-called chicken-and-egg problem of certified wood markets. Of course, FSC certification has other kinds of value for our certified members. It

By the Numbers: 2016 Accomplishments

2016 was an incredible year for Northwest Certified Forestry members and the forests they steward. Because of the dedicated community of ecologically-minded woodland owners, Pacific Northwest forests are healthier, more resilient homes for wildlife and people alike. Here are some highlights of our year: Accomplishments: We hosted 11 workshops on ecologically-based forest management, precision tree-felling, forest monitoring, and programs for natural resource professionals and engaged 267 participants. We conducted more than 92 site visits to forest landowners – including NCF members and beginning woodland owners. We completed 6 ecologically-based thinning projects across 65 acres We oversaw 4 forest restoration projects involving inter-planting, pre-commercial

Stewardship: Just Call It Love

Christine Johnson (with her husband Terrigal) has loved forests all her life. As NNRG’s board chair, she helps us work to protect the health, resilience, and character of these incredible places, share her love of Northwest woodlands every step along the way. Her 10-acre, FSC®-certified forest on Waldron Island is a living testament to Christine’s stewardship. Learn more about Christine and her journey:

Member Spotlight: Oak restoration & attuning to “hidden” wonders

When Jeanie Taylor and her husband, Tom Lenon, saw their forest for the first time they knew it was home. While the 20 acres in the Gopher Valley hills of Yamhill County was riddled with scotch broom and blackberry, it also supported Oregon white oaks and suggested the potential to provide habitat for endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, threatened Kincaid’s lupine, western gray squirrels, western bluebirds and other species endemic to the Willamette Valley. They bought the land with the intent to restore native oak ecosystems and eventually live full-time on the property. Jeanie and Tom knew it would be work to rehabilitate the historic oak woodland choked

Member Spotlight: Giving back to forest, creek, and community

Camp Myrtlewood brings together a community dedicated to stewardship, environmental education, and fellowship. Just a few miles upstream from the confluence of the Middle Fork Coquille River and Myrtle Creek, Camp Myrtlewood includes 124 acres of temperate rainforest that is Forest Stewardship Council® certified through NNRG’s FSC® group certificate. Tucked away in the Coast Range of southern Oregon, the retreat center and hospitality ministry of the Church of the Brethren draws people from throughout the Northwest. The camp’s leadership and volunteers strive to give back to the forest and river that sustain the camp (making every day Earth Day at

FSC Your Valentine’s Day

However you choose to spend February 14th The Forest Stewardship CouncilⓇ (FSCⓇ) certifies forests and forest products that meet stringent standards of environmental sustainability. What better way to celebrate your loved one than with these luxurious picks? [table id=3 /] Go on a date in an FSC certified forest: Turtleback Mountain | Orcas Island, WA Discovery Park | Seattle, WA Seward Park | Seattle, WA Carkeek Park | Seattle WA Schmitz Park | Seattle, WA Commodore Park | Seattle, WA Cowling Creek Forest Preserve | Poulsbo, WA Ueland Tree Farm | Bremerton, WA Klingel Wetlands Wildlife Refuge | Belfair, WA Tiger Mountain State Forest: Issaquah, WA Island Center Forest | Vashon Island, WA Ellsworth Preserve | Naselle, WA Northwest Trek | Eatonville, WA Mashel

From stump to Stumptown

The farm-to-table movement resonates with citizens of the Pacific Northwest. We shop at local farmers markets, participate in CSAs, buy eggs from our neighbors who raise chickens. We care so much about where our food comes from – and its well-being – that the show Portlandia pokes fun at us Oregonians and Washingtonians wanting to “meet the chicken” on our plate. But can we extend the farm-to-table concept to the next level of sustainable sourcing? Forest-to-building? Stump-to-siding? Tree-to-floor? At NNRG, we believe it’s important to have confidence and take comfort in knowing where our wood products come from. Meeting the stump and walking through the forest from which the

Point Defiance Park – a living museum

Point Defiance Park is as rare as it is gorgeous. No where else can one find 500 acres of old-growth forest along the shore of Puget Sound and all within the city of Tacoma. The forest is interwoven with walking and running trails, bike paths, and picnic areas that provide a serene reprieve from the urban bustle just beyond its shady canopy. Excellent stewardship on the part of Metro Parks Tacoma is to credit for the forest’s preservation. The agency manages parks all over the city, but Point Defiance stands out within Tacoma – and the Puget Sound region – because it is Forest

Crystal Lake Tree Farm – a community and a classroom

On June 23, I was fortunate enough to attend a forest health workshop at the location. It was a lovely night to be outside as we tromped up and down the road of Crystal Lake Tree Farm. Settled on 400 acres in suburban Woodinville, WA, its location is merely one special aspect of the tree farm. The tree farm is a sustainably-managed community forest that surrounds Crystal Lake, where 66 families live and own a lot of their own land. I soon met Ron Munro, the man behind this unique place. Unassuming and vastly knowledgeable, he reminds me of my

The Good Wood Tour – July 30

Interested in building sustainably? Want to know the difference between FSC-certified and conventional forest products? Then come to the Good Wood Tour! On July 30th, NNRG and others will be co-hosting the first of a two-part event that will increase participants’ understanding of sustainable forestry and FSC products as an important component of green building. The event will include day tours to an FSC-certified forest as well as industrial, institutional, and residential buildings that utilized a large percentage of FSC-certified wood in their construction. Strategies to increase demand for sustainable forestry products and promote them as a green building solution will also

Sustainable forestry in Clark County

In southwest Washington, Clark County Department of Environmental Services exemplifies how to transition forest land from passive management to active management. Starting in 2011, the County developed forest stewardship plans for its recently acquired properties. Today, the County is using selective thinning and other techniques to improve overall health of these forest ecosystems that supports a diversity of plants and animals while generating a modest income from wood products. The County’s Forest Stewardship Council® certified forests at Camp Bonneville and Green Mountain are part of NNRG’s FSC group certificate. Learn more about Clark County’s sustainable forestry program.

Thank You Thursday at Reuben’s Brews – March 26

We’re excited to be heading back to Reuben’s Brews as they host us for Thank You Thursday! This Thursday, March 26, $1.00 of every pint purchased from 5:00 – 8:00 PM will go to support Northwest Natural Resource Group. Enjoy a well-crafted beer made with water from an FSC®-certified forest while helping out a great cause! We hope to see you there! Reuben’s Brews 1406 NW 53rd Street Seattle, WA 98107

Wetset Enterprises

Wetset Enterprises, Mossyrock, WA By Kirk Hanson Thomas Wolfe once famously stated that “you can’t go home again”. NCF member Micheal Hurley begs to differ as he gradually exchanges a 30-year career that took him all over the world for the woods of his childhood. Nestled into the headwaters of Salmon Creek in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains southwest of Mossyrock, Hurley has pieced together over 120 acres of exceptionally diverse forestland from which he is now creating as much of a living as he is a lifestyle. Hurley is a native to southwest Washington. “I was raised cutting

Clyde Tree Farm

Clyde Tree Farm & Northwest Sustainable Wood Products, Silverdale, WA By Jennifer Whitelaw Helen and Drew Daly have 154 acres of Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) certified forestland near Silverdale in Kitsap County along the Hood Canal. Helen inherited the property, where she grew up, from her parents, who purchased it in the 1930s after the government decided to build the Bangor Naval Submarine Base, thereby displacing her family from their former residence. Her parents, Clyde and Bernice, got a deal on the land they purchased, now known as Clyde Tree Farm, thanks to the economic downturn at the time. If not