Upthegrove wins General Election, will lead Department of Natural Resources

SEATTLE, WA (Nov 8)–Washington Conservation Action (WCA) issued the following statement after election results were announced for Commissioner of Public Lands-elect Dave Upthegrove, King County Councilmember.

“Forest management and healthy forests are not partisan issues. Our state needs a new generation of natural resources leadership willing to stand up for all the people of Washington against the corporate timber industry,” says Alyssa Macy, CEO of Washington Conservation Action and citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Oregon. “His win affirms that Washington voters want a commissioner who will prioritize the public benefit of our collective resources over the priorities of corporate timber and promote improving rural livelihoods and collaboration with Tribes. We look forward to working with him.”

Voters elected the country’s first LGBTQ-identified statewide natural resource manager, and Washington’s first LGBTQ-identified executive.

“WCA Votes sent direct mail and ran digital ads to get in front of voters on this important position for our state. And ensuring voters knew who would be on the side of the people of Washington,” says Joy Stanford, civic engagement and democracy director, Washington Conservation Action. “With thousands of volunteers putting money, time, and energy into this race, WCA raised more than $550,000 to support Upthegrove’s victory as our next Commissioner of Public Lands.”

No single statewide position has more influence over Washington’s landscape than the Commissioner of Public Lands, who presides over about 6 million acres of the state’s forest, range, agricultural, aquatic and commercial lands — with firefighting responsibilities covering 13 million acres. The commissioner has the most ability to impact environmental policy through the management of public forestlands to decrease carbon, and strengthening shorelines that DNR manages as carbon sinks, ensure healthy habitat for salmon. Upthegrove is the champion for environmental justice we need to protect Washington’s environment from federal attacks.

Washington Conservation Action, in its annual report on the State of our Forests and Public Lands, lays out a clear vision for the next commissioner. You can read that here

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Washington Conservation Action and Washington Conservation Action Votes (PAC) executed one of the largest campaigns to elect environmental champions and defeat harmful ballot initiatives, and capitalized on civic engagement opportunities, spending nearly $2 million this cycle. In addition, Washington Conservation Action invested more than $1 million into its Native Vote Washington program to register voters, educate them, and a get out the vote campaign.