A Climate Resilience Guide for Small Forest Landowners in Western Washington
Forests in western Washington are being affected by changes in the climate. As the climate continues to warm, and temperature extremes occur more often, forests will experience more impacts, with consequences for the values that small forest landowners derive from their forests. Some potential effects of climate change on forests are well understood. For example, we are seeing changes, such as dieback in western redcedar. Other effects will appear over time, requiring landowners to be flexible and adaptable in managing forest land. As a landowner, you can take action now to ensure that your forest continues to be resilient to changes in the climate and meets the goals you have for your land. Climate change is a complex, global-scale issue, but many options are available for climate-smart management at the local scale. Actions also depend on your management goals over the next decade or more. Deciding which actions to implement depends on knowing how your goals might be affected by changes in the climate. This guide provides forest landowners in western Washington with information to (1) understand how your forests may be affected by climate change, and (2) identify actions that you can take to reduce adverse impacts, increase resilience, and contribute to thriving forest lands and habitat across the region