Have you visited the trails on Blanchard Mountain? You probably know the area by more popular names like Oyster Dome and Chuckanut Drive. The Pacific Northwest Trail also runs through the forest on its way to Whidbey Island from here.
The land on this mountain by the Salish Bay is owned by DNR (Department of Natural Resources) and conservationists and hikers are fighting to keep it from being logged.
I was out last Friday for a ramble on some of the trails in the Chuckanuts and was reminded of this threat. Last time I was up here, I hiked the trails closer to Oyster Dome and the Salish Bay Overlook and it was devastating to see the damage of deforestation already happening.
This great article by Conservation Northwest explains what is happening with trying to save the Blanchard Forest for the hiking, mountain biking and horse riding that it provides for so many people in the Pacific Northwest. A collaborative agreement was reached to save 1,600 acres from logging but it required that money be provided for DNR to be able to purchase replacement land.
To date, the Washington State Legislature has shown their support for Blanchard State Forest by providing $6.5 million of the appropriations necessary to fund the replacement land purchases. But $7.7 million in funding is still needed, and the 2017 legislative session is the last chance for funding before logging will begin. We need your help before and during the 2017 Washington State Legislative session to permanently protect the core of Blanchard from logging!
You can find out more about how you can help save this beautiful forest at the Conservation Northwest website or follow this link to send your support to Governor Inslee and your own representatives. The message is provided, all you have to do is add you name and click send!
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