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.
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.
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PROJECT TYPE: Improved forest management
LOCATION: Lewis County, Washington
VERIFICATION: American Carbon Registry
RELATED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS):
This project contributes directly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations:
- 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.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action by countries in global partnership to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Co-benefits
The streams that run through the protected area are under careful management, ensuring the continual flow of clean water. 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.
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.
