Protecting the Spotted Owl

WEC successfully challenged plans for increased logging on 1.4 million acres of Washington forests. The lawsuit was filed in 2004 after the state Department of Natural Resources approved a new ten-year plan for logging on nearly a million and a half acres of state land in Western Washington. Provisions to the settlement, such as to not log 42,000 acres of high quality Spotted Owl habitat in Western Washington, ensured protection for this important species in our state. This decision spurred innovative forest practices to improve forest health and protect threatened species.