Washington boosts salvage logging after record wildfires

Washington officials are moving to increase salvage logging following a record-breaking wildfire season. Summer fires scorched more than 886,000 acres across the state, including 93,000 acres of state trust land—the highest amount of state-managed land burned in a single season since 2000.

Because timber revenue from public lands supports schools and local government, the Washington State Board of Natural Resources voted to allow the Department of Natural Resources to sell more burned forestland without board approval. This policy change raises the threshold for sales that do not require board oversight from $250,000 to $2 million, effectively shortening the auction timeline by approximately two months.

The initiative aims to maximize the value of charred timber before it molds or loses marketability. The wood can be utilized for industrial fuel, landscaping, or manufacturing products such as siding and roofing. Officials noted that the department will face significant competition in the salvage market from tribal, private, and federal landholders.