Dewatto Headwaters Forest

Dewatto Headwaters Forest featured image

Located along Hood Canal, Dewatto Headwaters Forest spans some 18,000 acres and the forest’s reach extends well beyond the forest’s edge. Dewatto Headwaters Forest delivers clean, cool water to the Puget Sound region, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, and expands public access to the Hood Canal area, which draws millions of visitors every year. Managed by Rayonier as a working forest, Dewatto Headwaters Forest sustains important rural jobs and supports local mills.

Just an hour west of Seattle, Hood Canal is a popular destination and important resource for people looking to get outside. But proximity to urban areas also puts Hood Canal’s forests at risk. As the urban areas of Western Washington grow and land values increase, the forests of Hood Canal face increasing threat from luxury residential development.

Fortunately, we have the opportunity to protect forests like Dewatto and create a roadmap for sustainable growth that promotes economic vitality and protects the region’s iconic landscape. Working alongside Great Peninsula Conservancy, Rayonier, and the U.S. Navy, The Trust for Public Land has permanently conserved 2,158 acres of Dewatto Headwaters Forest. This success is the first of a multi-phased effort that will ultimately protect over 10,000 acres.

Dewatto Headwaters Forest is an important piece of The Trust for Public Land’s broader efforts in the North Olympic Peninsula to strategically protect the region’s forests and support the community’s vision for sustainable growth and economic vitality. Read more about our work in the North Olympic Peninsula.

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