Conservation and Recreation Groups Oppose Timber Sale adjacent to Wallace Falls State Park

Eight organizations, including Washington Wild, submitted a letter to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) opposing a planned timber sale that would clear cut up to the boundary of Wallace Falls State Park. The controversial Singletary sale is located north of Highway 2 in Snohomish County near the towns of Gold Bar and Monroe.

Photo Courtesy of Washington State Parks

At issue is the impact that the timber sale would have on the popular Wallace Falls State Park, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year. In the past few years many of the organizations who signed the letter had worked as part of a WA DNR recreation planning effort to negotiate a plan to add new mountain bike, hiking and other trails that would relieve the over-crowded trails in the state park. Some of the new trail system would also potentially connect to the Wild Sky Wilderness on adjacent national forest land. 

The letter requests that the timber sale be delayed until the new Commissioner of Public Lands, junior tax districts, elected officials and the public can explore additional options to protect a portion of this area, protect recreational opportunities, and create a buffer along the new county trailhead and Wallace Falls State Park, while also ensuring local revenue to junior tax districts.

Read the letter here.