In the News: Blending forestry and conservation

Oregon Business highlights Columbia Land Trust's collaborative approach to forest conservation.

Columbia Land Trust Conservation Director Cherie Kearney knows that when it comes to conserving forests in the Pacific Northwest, common ground and strong working relationships are key. In a recent Oregon Business article by Sander Gusinow, Kearney explains how building conservation solutions alongside timber companies has proved crucial in conserving forest for both wildlife habitat and forestry. The 20,000 acres of forestland at Mount St. Helens and ongoing efforts to conserve 10,000 acres in Klickitat Canyon offer compelling examples of Kearney’s strategy paying big dividends for wildlife. Gusinow’s article highlights how tensions and animosity from the spotted owl wars of the early 1990s have thawed and given way to more mutually beneficial partnerships as the timber industry and conservation groups have evolved both culturally and technologically.

Read the full article to learn more about the changing dynamics around the many roles forests play in the health and prosperity of the Pacific Northwest. For information on our forestry projects, check out our work, including our Mount St. Helens conservation area and our efforts at Klickitat Canyon.