Category Overview
Forestland Preservation grants help improve opportunities for forest management activity and improve the long-term growth and harvest of timber. These projects help protect many different kinds of forests, including, but not limited to, large-scale industrial forests, small private landowner forests, community forests, and tribally - or publicly-owned and managed forests.
Project Highlights
Forterra seeks funding to acquire a conservation easement on 80.2 acres of forestland in Grays Harbor County. The protection of the Polson Heritage Forest will prevent future development and will preserve the forest legacy that characterizes the region. Forterra is partnering with the Polson Museum and Girl Scouts of Western Washington to protect this rural forestland and to showcase the local, cultural, and historical resources of the region and site. The primary forest management goal will be implementing ecological forestry practices to promote forest health and resilience. The long-term goals of this property feature educational opportunities to inspire generations of future foresters and conservationists. The legacy camp infrastructure, including a lodge, A-frame cabins, and open-air sleeping bunks, will be utilized recreationally. The Polson Museum is a respected local non-profit leader in historical and educational programming, including a mobile sawmill. These kinds of tourism and educational opportunities will support community programming and generate long-term revenue to complement and enhance forest management. The forest resources on the property consist primarily of a second growth mix of conifer species that provide wildlife habitat. It also contains riparian and wetland resources, including a small pond and steams. If the property is not protected with a WWRP Forestland easement, it faces increasing threats of conversion and rural residential development.