Letter to the Editor: Pausing timber sales without a replacement is a reckless gamble

I read your (March 10 guest column) in The Bellingham Herald praising Commissioner Upthegrove’s recent moves, but as someone with family in the logging industry, I see a different side. His decision to halt 23 timber sales — 28% of the DNR’s planned 2025 harvest — doesn’t just ‘pause’ things; it threatens livelihoods. My two sons-in-law work in logging, and these delays could mean less work, fewer hours and real financial strain for our family. The (column) touts climate benefits, but what about the rural communities that rely on timber revenue for schools, fire districts, and jobs? Upthegrove says he won’t reduce overall harvest, but pausing these sales without a clear, immediate replacement feels like a gamble with people’s lives. I’d ask Upthegrove and Rachel Baker and Kaylee Galloway to consider how this looks to those of us who don’t just see forests as carbon sinks but as a way to put food on the table.

Toni Honeycutt resides in Ione, Washington