Conservation and environmental justice require a strong public lands leader

WASHINGTON STATE (April 1, 2024)–Today, Washington Conservation Action (WCA) endorses Dave Upthegrove, chair of King County Council, for Commissioner of Public Lands in the 2024 election. Upthegrove has a record of working with frontline communities to advance solutions and will collaborate with the environmental community on the needed evolution of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He is best positioned to win this important statewide position. Upthegrove received Washington Conservation Voters’ (the precursor of Washington Conservation Action) Legislator of the Year award in 2015. 

In 2024, Washington voters will elect a new Commissioner of Public Lands (CPL) to lead the state’s only agency dedicated exclusively to management and oversight of Washington’s natural resources. The CPL’s office has unparalleled power to guide environmental priorities. Decisions made by the CPL have a profound impact on clean water, healthy forests, salmon, and shorelines–and in turn, a profound impact on community wellbeing, and how the state harnesses our natural climate solutions to fight climate change.

“Washington Conservation Action’s sole endorsement is not only a huge boost for my campaign, it’s also a major vote of confidence in my strong environmental values, relevant experience, and commitment to bringing people together to better evolve management of our public lands, and moving with urgency to address the threats posed by climate change,” said Dave Upthegrove, chair of King County Council and candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands. “I’m deeply honored and energized to have the support of the environmental community in this race, and with this endorsement I know we are well positioned to win in August and in November. I look forward to working with the conservation and environmental justice community to bring needed changes at DNR for all the people of Washington.”

Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands (CPL) is one of only six statewide natural resource positions across the country. The next commissioner has an incredible opportunity to innovate on serving the public and managing forests and aquatic lands to benefit all the people of Washington. 

Dave Upthegrove has decades of experience in natural resources and environmental policymaking. With a demonstrated knowledge of the history and degree to which we need “transformational change” at DNR, Upthegrove has a strong understanding of current dynamics, processes, and opportunities to bring the agency into the climate change era. He identified numerous specific forestry issues to address: setting carbon storage and sequestration goals, reevaluating how and when we harvest, carbon accounting, SEPA for climate impacts of logging, leveraging the State Supreme Court’s Conservation Northwest v. Franz decision for transformational change.

Upthegrove has also prioritized racial justice, environmental justice, and Tribal sovereignty. He is explicit about “bringing to life co-management with tribes,” and utilizing Free, Prior, Informed Consent. Upthegrove also wants to go beyond the HEAL act, centering environmental justice at DNR by creating a clean energy trust to bring funds back into local communities, and working directly with minority and women business owners. 

Upthegrove is endorsed by leaders across the state, including Joe Fitzgibbon, House Majority Leader; Hamdi Mohamed, Port of Seattle Commissioner; Ryan Mello, Pierce County Council Chair; Jared Mead, Snohomish County Council Chair; Girmay Zahilay, King County Council; Zach Zappone, Spokane City Council; Chris Stearns, State Representative; and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 587.

“Dave Upthegrove is best positioned to win given his grassroots support around the state. We know he is prepared to work closely with the conservation and environmental justice community to bring the necessary change at DNR we need,” said Alyssa Macy, CEO Washington Conservation Action “Dave also understands the positive role that our state lands play in storing carbon and addressing climate change, while creating jobs, a perspective that is sorely needed in the office of the Commissioner of Public Lands.”

WCA appreciated Dave’s specific plans and commitments he shared, including for his first week in office, including halting logging of mature forests. He has already led on this issue in his role on the King County Council. 

There were a number of strong candidates for the position. However, Dave Upthegrove emerged as the candidate best positioned to win and advance positive change on day one. When elected as the next Commissioner of Public Lands, Dave will also make history as Washington’s first LGBTQ statewide executive elected official, and one of only nine other statewide elected officials across the country, based on data from Victory Fund & Institute. 

“The qualified candidates in this race made our task to endorse difficult. But Dave Upthegrove is the best candidate for this race because he works strategically to build partnerships, has been a long-term advocate for environmental justice in underserved communities and has the deep environmental policy experience needed to be a leader in fighting the climate crisis,” said Preeti Shridhar, Vice Chair of the Washington Conservation Action Board. “I have worked with Dave for many years in South King County and have seen him get a lot done to make our communities more equitable.”

Washington Conservation Action represents tens of thousands of members and activists across the state. WCA will educate and mobilize its members and supporters around Dave Upthegrove’s conservation and environmental justice record. Washington Conservation Action will also be launching a voter engagement campaign called, “Call 4 Climate Action.” This new, year-round effort will launch on Earth Day 2024. The goal is to get 50,000 disengaged voters to commit to vote in November.

Washington Conservation Action is a powerful statewide policy and political organization that has fought for environmental progress and justice for nearly 60 years. WCA has helped to create the institutions and laws that protect people and nature in this state, including: the Department of Ecology, the Environmental Policy Act, the Forest Practices Act, the Shoreline Management Act, the Oil Spill Pollution Act, the Model Toxics Control Act, the Growth Management Act, the Clean Cars Bill, the Clean Energy Transformation Act, the HEAL Act, the Clean Fuel Standard, the Climate Commitment Act, and 100% Clean School Buses.

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