Flat Country Timber Sale Canceled
In 2022, CEF provided a grant to the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance (PNW FCA) to organize a direct action training camp. The PNW FCA is a coalition of 60+ organizations, formed in 2020 to increase coordination between forest defense and climate movements in the region. The Alliance consists of an impressive range of groups, including local chapters of prominent climate protest groups, such as Extinction Rebellion, Sunrise, 350, and Sunrise, locally focused forest defense campaigns, and more traditional policy or electorally focused groups. Deforestation and logging are the biggest sources of carbon emissions in Oregon and Washington, making the Alliance’s work critically important.
The 2022 Action Camp was hosted at the site of a proposed timber sale, known as Flat Country. The timber sale would have resulted in the destruction of thousands of acres of pristine old growth forest.
Not long after the action camp, organizers received fantastic news - the sale of the old growth forest to a logging company had been blocked! The action camp alone and the threat of escalation seem to have been enough to persuade decision-makers that moving forward with the project wasn’t worth it. It may sound like a small victory, but it clearly demonstrates that larger wins are possible for the Alliance in 2023 with more organizing and more public pressure. CEF continues to provide support for this inspiring organizing effort, and the Alliance has big plans for this summer.
