After a primary election battle that saw a margin of only 49 votes separating two of the Democratic contenders and forcing a statewide hand recount, Democrat Dave Upthegrove came out on top to face Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler in the race to become Washington's commissioner of public lands.
Whoever wins will oversee the state Department of Natural Resources, which manages more than 3 million acres of forest, range, agricultural and commercial lands, as well as 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands. In addition to housing the largest firefighting resource in the state, the department manages timber harvests and land leases to bring in more than $200 million each year for public benefits such as school construction.
While both candidates say they will rely on science-backed policies when looking to balance sustainability and forest health, they differ in their views on how much forest should be protected from timber harvesting.
JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER
Most recently Herrera Beutler was a congresswoman representing southwestern Washington in the U.S. House from her election in 2010 until she lost her most recent bid for reelection in 2022.She was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Her party "primaried" her, running another conservative candidate against her who took more votes and moved on to the general from the state's top two primary. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez ultimately won the seat.
At a Northwest Public Broadcasting and League of Women Voters debate last month, Herrera Beutler noted that she's had experience telling her own party "no" when it was necessary for the good of the country.
"Look folks, I've had to do the hard work of telling people on my team, in my party 'no.' It's not easy, but sometimes you have to do it. And I think you should expect the same of my opponent," Herrera Beutler told the audience. "Does he really want to do the work to keep it clean and healthy, and if that's true, then can he tell his activist friends 'no' for the benefit of Washington's kids?"
She repeatedly criticized Upthegrove's plans to protect an additional 77,000 acres of forest lands from harvest if elected. In addition to questioning how the state could make up the revenue lost by preserving that much land (potentially $2 billion, she argued), Herrera Beutler questioned how that preservation plays into the department's critical role of reducing the risk of wildfires.
"Too many of our forests are undermanaged or outright neglected, and they have turned into crowded, diseased tinderboxes just waiting for a spark," she said. "I am going to make sure that we abide by the science — the strictest environmental standards in the nation when it comes to managing our public land for the public benefit."
DAVE UPTHEGROVE
Upthegrove is currently a King County Council member and has been in that role since 2014. Before that he served as the state representative for the 33rd Legislative District, which covers southern King County, from 2002 to 2013.
He plans to expand the state's current protections of old-growth forests (pre-1850) to include mature forests that are about 100 years old. He says protecting the 77,000 acres of these "legacy forests" that have developed complex ecosystems is necessary to continue storing the most carbon and to protect endangered species.
In an op-ed earlier this year, Upthegrove wrote that the legacy forests "hold an outsized value for helping us battle climate change and protect our air, water and habitat."
During last month's debate, he criticized Herrera Beutler for voting against clean water and clean air protections during her time in Congress, and argued that she supports timber interests more than environmental protection.
"My opponent's agenda is the timber industry's agenda," Upthegrove told the audience. "Her solution to everything is to destroy these last older forests. ... We don't have to destroy a forest to prevent wildfires."
Upthegrove said he'd promote more responsible recreation opportunities by encouraging the development of sanctioned places to shoot targets and use recreational vehicles.
"I'm running for this office to improve the management of our public lands to meet these realities of today," he said. "That means ensuring opportunities for the next generation to enjoy recreational opportunities. It means improving our wildfire prevention and response. And yes, it means protecting our clean air, clean water and clean habitat." ♦
