Gov. Christine Gregoire and Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland sign landmark forest and stream application

For Immediate Release: February 9, 2005

Gov. Christine Gregoire and Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland today signed documents representing a landmark step to protecting Washington�s streams and forests.

The two jointly signed an application to the federal government for a programmatic, statewide Habitat Conservation Plan. One of a kind because of its scope and collaborative development, the plan is a 50-year contract with the federal government for greatly increased protection of Washington�s streams and forests.

It will also assure private landowners that practicing forestry in Washington state meets federal Endangered Species requirements for aquatic species.

Set in motion by the Forests and Fish Agreement, the plan covers 60,000 miles of streams running through 9.1 million acres of forestland.

At a joint news conference, the two elected officials signed the application and presented it to David Allen, regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bob Lohn, regional administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.

�The Forests and Fish Agreement is a high-level illustration of sustainability at work,� Gov. Gregoire said. �Traditionally opposing sides � the timber industry and the natural resources agencies and the tribes � were able to come together in this agreement.�

�It�s a testament to how our great state meets the challenge of protecting our precious natural resources � our salmon and clean water � along with retaining jobs in our rural forest communities,� Gov. Gregoire said.

She noted the importance that the best available science be used to show where changes need to be made along the way.

�The term �win-win� is sometimes overused, but this really is a great example of all sides benefiting from an action,� she said. �Our streams, fisheries and wildlife get much greater protection. At the same time, an important segment of our economy is able to continue operations with some certainty that they are in compliance with existing laws.

�Congratulations to you, Commissioner Sutherland, for bringing the Forests and Fish partners to this historic moment. This is a model for other industries in our state to follow.�

Lands Commissioner Sutherland thanked the collaborative Forests and Fish partners. He said, �The individuals here today have personally spent years, if not decades, working together collaboratively in order to reach this point. They have one thing in common � a deep love and respect for the natural resources of our state. We owe these partners a tremendous debt of thanks for their hard work forging a plan that will help preserve healthy forests and clean streams for our wild salmon and other aquatic species, and that will also provide jobs and secure the sustainable and responsible management of our forests, now and for future generations.

�They represent the State Department of Ecology, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the environmental community, the Washington Farm Forestry Association, the Washington Forest Protection Association, the Washington State Association of Counties and the State Department of Natural Resources. They have dedicated thousands of hours of research, negotiation, collaboration and coordination to achieve this HCP,� he said.

Sutherland also acknowledged the essential contributions other elected officials have made to Forests and Fish.

�We must also thank former Gov. Locke for his Statewide Salmon Recovery Strategy, declaring that our streams and rivers needed to be clean and protected,� he said.

�And we are grateful to the Washington state legislators whose bipartisan leadership sponsored the original Forests and Fish law, especially Rep. Jim Buck, Sen. Debbie Regala, and Sen. Mark Doumit. And we wouldn�t be here today without the support of our entire Congressional delegation, in particular Congressman Norm Dicks and Sen. Patty Murray who have made it possible to maintain momentum for this agreement with funding support in Washington, D.C.,� said Sutherland.

The Forests and Fish Act, passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Locke in 1999, directed the Forest Practices Board to adopt the Forests and Fish Report into the State Forest Practices Rules. The Forest Practices Board adopted those rules in 2001. Founded on science, the rules give Washington state the greatest level of protection for forested streams in the United States. The act also directed the governor, or the governor�s designee, to obtain Endangered Species Act assurances on behalf of the state of Washington.

As designated by former Gov. Locke, Commissioner Sutherland directed the Department of Natural Resources to work closely with the various partners to develop the necessary document to submit this application to the federal government.

Following today�s submission of the application, the Federal Register will print a notice of availability, which will begin the 90-day public comment period and a series of public meetings across the state.

More information about Forests and Fish is available at www.dnr.wa.gov or from Debora Brown-Munguia at 360-902-1048.

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What elected officials are saying about the new Habitat Conservation Plan:

�After decades of conflict, the federal and state agencies, the tribes and the timber industry have come together to produce a historic agreement which will govern forest practices on over 9.1 million acres of forest land in the state of Washington. With today�s application for a statewide HCP on forest practices, we have the chance to set a new standard of high environmental protection, protect our state�s vital forest-products economy, and protect thousands of miles of streamside forest habitat. I look forward to working with Governor Gregoire, Commissioner Sutherland, and the federal agencies to assure that this �first of its kind� HCP is a success.�

�U.S. Congressman Norm Dicks, who played an active leadership role in the complex Forests and Fish Agreement negotiations and led the way to secure more than $23 million in federal funding for important adaptive management research called for in the agreement.

�This is a conservation plan we can all live with. The foundation of our state�s Forests Practices Habitat Conservation Plan is based on adaptive management. It allows changes to be made based on scientific evidence, not politics or rhetoric. This provides real confidence as we continue to restore salmon habitat.�

�Washington State Sen. Debbie Regala, Tacoma, co-author of the Forests and Fish agreement, which was signed into law in 1999.

�The Forests and Fish agreement has been a great success story for Washington state. We have worked hard through the years to create a model plan that truly makes a difference in balancing our fragile timber economy and saving our salmon. Now we�re ready to move forward again.
This latest step clearly demonstrates our state's leadership in bringing solutions to the table.�

�Washington State Rep. Jim Buck, 24th District, principle author of the state�s 1998 Salmon Recovery Act and supporter of the Forests and Fish timber agreement, which was signed into law in 1999.