On Wednesday, the Washington Forest Practices Board voted 7-5 to increase riparian buffer zones along fishless streams — a decision that will remove millions of dollars’ worth of harvestable timber from production and further strain the state’s struggling forest economy.

Washington’s landmark Forests and Fish law, adopted in 1999, established a collaborative framework that brought together landowners, tribes, and local governments to balance environmental protection with sustainable forestry practices. For more than two decades, that partnership has guided responsible forest management across the state.

19th District State Reps. Jim Walsh and Joel McEntire, who represent timber-reliant counties in Southwest Washington that will be heavily affected by the new restrictions, issued the following joint statement regarding the board’s decision:

“Today’s proposal adopted by the Washington Forest Practices Board is a disaster — an affront to science, proven forest practices, and the financial well-being of all Washingtonians.

“This rule guts what’s left of the timber industry in our state. It hurts rural counties, hurts schools, hurts libraries, and damages the livelihoods of thousands of families who depend on sustainable forest management. The seven board members of the board who voted for this dumpster fire policy should be ashamed of themselves. Their anti-scientific sanctimony is a stain on Washington — an insult to our state’s finances, history, and traditions.

“This reckless decision will devastate small forest landowners and the rural communities they sustain. By removing millions in local tax revenue tied to timber harvests, the board has effectively cut funding from classrooms, teachers, and essential local services. Washington deserves better than this. The Forest Practices Board should have gone back to the table and done the hard work of collaboration — balancing environmental stewardship with economic survival. Instead, they chose politics over people.”