News
By Adam Gebauer
Through a Washington State Commerce Department grant, The Lands Council is engaged in a pilot project to create and use biochar to reduce forest fuels. Eastern and Central Washington have 2.7 million acres of land that are in need of restoration to reduce the chance of large catastrophic fires.
By Mike Petersen
The Lands Council, along with our partner Spokane Ponderosa, is dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the native Ponderosa pine urban forest found throughout Spokane County. The cities of Spokane County are enriched by the native Ponderosa forests that distinguish us from Midwestern and Eastern cities. Our goal is to help retain as many Ponderosa pine as possible and plant new ones in many areas such as the North Spokane Corridor - and your yard!
By Mike Petersen
The Northeast Washington Forest Coalition (which The Lands Council helped found) filed it’s first “objection” of a timber sale in mid-July. Two key issues caused NEWFC to challenge this project in Ferry County:
Proposed fuel breaks in inventoried roadless areas, and
A lack of specificity of what the silvicultural prescriptions would entail.
The Lands Council recently weighed in on the Spokane Water Conservation Master Plan. Climate models indicate that the Spokane area will have warmer summers, combined with less moisture. Less snowpack in the Coeur d’Alene and Clark Fork watershed are predicted, which will lead to less flow into the aquifer. This will impact summer aquifer levels, as well as Spokane River flows. This will also increase the need for outdoor watering. A water conservation plan is critical to prepare for the future of our city and river!
