|
The Winston Creek Forest Project is a 10,000-acre forest located in Lewis County, Washington, owned and managed by Port Blakely, a family-owned company dating back five generations. The forest is located between two separate blocks of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and serves as a bridge for owls traveling from nesting locations, which forms the basis of the Safe Harbor Agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. WATCH THE VIDEO
|
REI’s commitment to the Winston Creek Forest Project
The Winston Creek Forest Project is a 10,000-acre forest located in Lewis County, Washington, owned and managed by Port Blakely, a family-owned company dating back five generations. The forest is located between two separate blocks of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and serves as a bridge for owls traveling from nesting locations, which forms the basis of the Safe Harbor Agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Port Blakely Winston Creek Forest Carbon Project from Port Blakely on Vimeo. Because a forest’s abilities to capture carbon from the atmosphere increases exponentially between 35 and 60 years of growth, trees in the Winston Creek forest project are only harvested after they’ve had a chance to mature and add considerable mass. Many forests in the industry are harvested after 35 years of growth, but at Winston Creek, Port Blakely waits almost twice as long. Adding almost two decades to the tree’s life exponentially increases its ability to sequester carbon and improve local air quality for the surrounding communities. The project also harvests less than 1.5% of the acreage each year, creating long-term sustainable forest management. |
CO-BENEFITS
Environmental:
Clean Water
The streams that run through the protected area are under careful management, ensuring the continual flow of clean water. All stream crossings have been upgraded, meeting or exceeding the highest standards well ahead of state-sanctioned deadlines. The company also voluntarily upgraded its stream crossings in Oregon to meet the stricter Washington state standards.
Wildlife Habitat
A mosaic approach to forest management allows this project to provide a diversity of trees and plant life, offering a safe habitat for several endangered species.
Social:
Education/Recreation
Those who visit the forest can see first-hand the many benefits of improved forest management. In a nearby forest over 80,000 4th graders have been through the company’s environmental education program, helping students learn about sustainable forestry. The forest area also provides recreational opportunities for local communities and visitors such as hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, berry picking and bird watching.
SDG Impacts:
- SDG 4 – Quality Education: Port Blakely’s Environmental Education program helps build the sustainability leaders and outdoor enthusiasts of our next generation.
- SDG 6 – Clean Water: Clean water and fish habitat are enhanced through forestry best management practices used throughout the project such as protection of aquatic habitats and slope stabilization.
- SDG 13 – Climate Action: The trees in the Winston Creek Project help fight climate change by actively sequestering carbon for nearly twice as long as in many industrial forests.
- SDG 15 – Life on Land: The project is designed taking a landscape-wide approach with the habitat needs of native wildlife taken into consideration, including terrestrial and aquatic forest species.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”5″ display=”basic_imagebrowser”]
To learn more about the Winston Creek project and how your organization can support this initiative and address its GHG emissions with verified emissions reductions, get in touch.
