Collaborative Updates

3/2/2023 Darrington Collaborative February Updates

2/3/2023 Darrington Collaborative January Updates

1/11/2023 Darrington Collaborative featured in The Pew Charitable Trusts blog

12/16/2022 Darrington Collaborative November & December Updates

8/5/2022 Darrington Collaborative July Monthly Update

7/5/2022 Darrington Collaborative June Monthly Update

6/6/2022 Darrington Collaborative May Monthly Update

5/23/2022 Darrington Collaborative Submits Comments Regarding the N. Fork Stilly Scoping Letter

Members of the Darrington Collaborative submitted a letter outlining comments and concerns regarding the FS N. Fork Stilly scoping letter. A copy of the letter may be accesses at the link below.

5/5/2022 Glacier Peak Institute and the Darrington Collaborative Participate in a Cultural Resource Identification Training with the Stillaguamish Tribe

On May 4th, Glacier Peak Institute (GPI) staff and 5 Darrington Youth participated with the Darrington Collaborative in a cultural resource identification training hosted by the Stillaguamish Tribe. Working with the Stillaguamish Tribe’s archeologist, youth learned to identify artifacts, discussed the value of the cultural history and connections of these objects to tribes, and the proper channels to connect authorities to the artifacts to. They were presented with modern models of artifacts and culturally modified trees. As a follow up inspired by this visit, GPI will share a hands-on experience of the training with the Darrington Collaborative and the Darrington local community, with the youth helping lead the training. This is estimated to reach another 10-20 youth. 

5/1/2022 Darrington Collaborative April Monthly Update

4/6/2022 Darrington Collaborative Virtual Public Meeting

The Darrington Collaborative hosted a virtual public meeting where members presented outcomes from Segelsen 2, updates from Glacier Peak Institute about their work with Darrington youth, and annouced an upcoming project on the 4062 Rd that will replace 2 AOPs (aquatic organism passages). Resilient Forestry joined for the second half of the meeting to give a presentation on complex early seral - a topic that the Collaborative explored last summer.

The meeting was recorded and can be watched at the link below.

4/1/2022 Darrington Collaborative March Monthly Update

3/4/2022 Darrington Collaborative February Monthly Update

2/2/2022 Darrington Collaborative January Monthly Update

1/2/2022 Darrington Collaborative December Monthly Update

12/2/2021 Darrington Collaborative November Monthly Update

11/2/2021 Darrington Collaborative October Monthly Update

10/12/2021 Darrington Collaborative Tours Segelsen 2

10/3/2021 Darrington Collaborative September Monthly Update

9/2/2021 Darrington Collaborative August Monthly Update

9/1/2021The Darrington Collaborative Receives DNR Building Forest Partnerships Grant

8/18/2021 N. Fork Stilly Field Tour with Congresswoman DelBene

8/1/2021 Darrington Collaborative July Monthly Update

7/7/2021 Darrington Collaborative June Monthly Update

6/10/2021 Darrington Collaborative May Monthly Update

5/3/2021 Darrington Collaborative April Monthly Update

4/16/2021 Rep. Suzan DelBene retweets PEW blog post

4/15/2021 “We All Want Healthy Forests and Salmon Runs; We All Want Clean Water”

4/1/2021 Darrington Collaborative March Monthly Updates

3/2/2021 Darrington Collaborative February Monthly Updates

2/12/2021 Darrington Collaborative Publishes N. Fork Stilly Virtual Field Tour 

2/1/2021 Darrington Collaborative January Monthly Updates

1/2/2021 Darrington Collaborative December Monthly Updates

12/30/2020 Darrington Collaborative Thanks Dave Kendrick for his Service!

12/20/2020 Darrington Collaborative Reiterates Support for S. Fork Stillaguamish Vegetation Management Project

12/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative November Monthly Update

11/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative October Monthly Update

10/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative September Monthly Update

9/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative Hosts Field Tour of NF Stilly

9/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative August Monthly Update

8/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative July Monthly Update

7/16/2020 Darrington Collaborative Virtual Public Meeting: Recording

7/15/2020 Darrington Collaborative Virtual Public Meeting

7/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative Welcomes New Resilient Forestry Ownership!

Sean Jeronimo has experience in forest management, operations, research, and analysis from up and down the West Coast, and National Forest collaborative experience in eastern Washington and northern Arizona. He specializes in forest restoration and landscape analysis. Sean earned his PhD in forest ecology from the University of Washington. 

6/26/2020 Darrington Collaborative June 2020 Monthly Update

• 6/11 Members of the Collaborative met with Mt. Baker District Ranger of the MBS-NF to discuss the N. Fork Nooksack project. 
• 6/11 The Collaborative Coordinator participated in a Washington Forest Collaboratives Network networking Zoom call with coordinators of each of the WA forest collaboratives.
• 6/26 The Collaborative met with MBS leadership to discuss N. Fork Stilly and other project updates, meet the new Forest Supervisor, and discuss a Letter of Agreement.

6/5/2020 Darrington Collaborative May 2020 Monthly Update

• Sally Bernstein began as Coordinator for the Collaborative.
• Jody Weil began as the new Forest Supervisor for the MBS. 
• Members of the Collaborative supported Glacier Peak Institute with their virtual annual fundraiser. 
• Collaborative worked with WA DNR to finalize contract negotiations for the All Lands grant. 
• A member of the Collaborative participated in Sustainable Northwest’s NEPA 101 webinar, part of the Forest Collaboratives Workshop Webinar Series, on May 15. 

5/27/2020 Darrington Collaborative Welcomes New MBS Forest Supervisor, Jody Weil

The Darrington Collaborative welcomes Jody Weil as the new Forest Supervisor for the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. We look forward to working with Jody to identify and implement forest restoration and aquatic restoration projects on the Forest over the coming years. Jody Weil previously served as the Deputy State Director for Resources and Planning for BLM’s Arizona State Office in Phoenix.  Jody has extensive experience communicating and managing natural resource issues, having served in various positions with the BLM for 30 years, including the acting Director of the Oregon-Washington State. 

5/15/2020 Darrington Collaborative Thanks Jamie Kingsbury for her Service

The Darrington Collaborative would like to express our gratitude for Jamie Kingsbury for being our partner and supporter as Forest Supervisor these past five years. Under her tenure, we were able to complete Segelsen 1 and 2, and her support for the Collaborative and our work on S. Fork Stilly is much appreciated. Her support was critical for obtaining two large grants for our work on the ground that together totalled over $300k. We wish her all the best in her retirement. 

5/5/2020 Darrington Collaborative Welcomes New Darrington District Ranger, Greta Smith

The Darrington Collaborative welcomes Greta Smith as the new Darrington District Ranger. Greta previously worked on the Rogue River National Forest in Oregon. She recently bought property in Darrington with her husband, Eric. We look forward to working with Greta, and having her and Eric join the Darrington community! 

5/2/2020 Darrington Collaborative Hires New Coordinator, Sally Bernstein

The Collaborative is excited to announce Sally Bernstein as their new Coordinator! As Coordinator, Sally spearheads outreach and engagement with internal and external partners, leads on administrative tasks, and supports the collaborative in navigating strategic planning and governance. Sally is part of the forest program team at Sustainable Northwest, and has provided support and shared learning opportunities for forest collaboratives in the PNW for the past five years. She is excited to join the Darrington Collaborative and engage on projects in the MBS that support ecology, STEM education, and the local Darrington economy. 

5/1/2020 Darrington Collaborative April 2020 Monthly Update

• With stay-at-home orders in place, the Darrington Collaborative members continued to work together and engage with partners remotely via conference call and Zoom. 
• Members of the Darrington Collaborative connected with the Washington Forest Collaboratives Network to receive example letters of agreement for other WA collaboratives. 
• Members of the Darrington Collaborative met with Forest Service staff to discuss a draft letter of agreement.
• Members of the Darrington Collaborative met with Forest Service engineering staff to identify the status of aquatic restoration projects completed as part of the Clear Creek stewardship project.

3/19/2020 Darrington Collaborative Hiring Coordinator Position

The Darrington Collaborative is looking for a passionate and skilled individual to work with members of the Darrington Collaborative to help support and coordinate their work to support restoration forestry and aquatic restoration projects on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest located in the North Cascades landscape. Click here to read job announcement https://wawild.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Darrington-Collaborative-Coordinator-Job-description-031120.pdf

1/24/20 Darrington Collaborative Receives $250,000 of funding from WA Department of Natural Resources 

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has awarded nine organizations across Washington state with a combined $1.6 million in grant funding to help make forests in their communities healthier and more resilient, including to wildfires.  The Darrington Collaborative received a Building Forest Partnerships Grant for $40,000 to hire a part time coordinator to support forest restoration work on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. The Collaborative also received an All Lands Forest Restoration Grant for $211,000 to support restoration forestry work, including thinning of overly dense forests, doing stand exams, road inventories and pre-sale work associated with future sales on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.

12/5/19 Darrington Collaborative Finalizes New Video 

In December, the Darrington Collaborative finalized a video highlighting its goals and accomplishments that can be shared at events and on the internet. The video was produced by local Darrington native Skye Schillhammer. The video features interviews with members of the Darrington Collaborative representing conservation, timber and STEM education perspectives.

*The video was funded by a grant from the WA Department of Natural Resources.*

10/1/19 Darrington Collaborative September 2019 Monthly Update 

• On 9/25, the Darrington Collaborative’s Segelson 2.0 sale was put out for bid and sold to Sierra Pacific This was the second sale to be sold as a focus of the Collaborative. 
• On 9/16 The Darrington Collaborative hosted a field tour with Darrington Collaborative members, congressional staff and representatives from WA DNR, the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe and the Forest Service

9/25/19 Darrington Collaborative’s Segelson 2.0 Project Sold

In September, the Darrington Collaborative’s second project (Segelsen 2.0) was offered and sold to Sierra Pacific Industries at $186.85 per mbf. The Segelsen 2.0 sale is a restoration thinning sale included 69 acres of previously harvested 60-year-old stands located north of the town of Darrington. An aquatic restoration project was included as a required sale item to address a washout at Segelsen Creek (which flows to North Fork Stillaguamish River) where it intersects the Forest Service RD #1870-011. Of note, the contracting for this sale was done in conjunction with the Washington Department of Natural Resources under Good Neighbor Authority.

9/15/19 Darrington Collaborative Announces New Logo

After holding a contest involving local artists, professionals and STEM education students, The Darrington Collaborative announced a new finalized logo. The winning design came from a Darrington Middle School student. She worked with Alpine Fox, a local graphic design company, who served as a mentor in taking the initial drawing and transforming it into a professional logo. The winner of the logo contest won $200 in local gift certificates to Darrington area businesses. We could not be more thrilled with the result.

*The video was funded by a grant from the WA Department of Natural Resources*

7/1/19 Darrington Collaborative June 2019 Monthly Update 

• On 6/12 the Darrington Collaborative met with leadership from the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to check in on current progress on projects and discuss future opportunities.

On 6/18 The Darrington Collaborative hosted a field tour of our Segelsen 1 location with members of the Darrington Collaborative and local stakeholders

4/1/19 Darrington Collaborative March 2019 Monthly Update 

• On 3/1 the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest issued a formal scoping notice for the Segelsen 2.0 project, the second project that the Darrington Collaborative has worked on with the Forest.  A 30-day comment period ends April 1.
• On 3/6 members of the Darrington Collaborative signed a letter supporting state funding for restoration forestry by Washington State collaboratives addressed to state legislators.
• On 3/13 members of the Darrington Collaborative provided an update to the monthly Darrington Strong meeting
• On 3/14 members of the Darrington Collaborative hosted a meeting with staff from the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and foresters from Hampton Lumber to discuss lessons learned from the Collaborative’s first pilot project on Segelsen Ridge. The goal of the meeting was to have a frank conversation about what went well and what could be improved with respect to future projects on the national forest.   
• On 3/29 members of the Darrington Collaborative met with leadership from the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to check in on current progress on projects and discuss future opportunities.
• In March, Resilient Forestry provided all information digitally (shapefiles, pdf maps, stand exam data, etc.) digitally to the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and the Darrington Collaborative for the Helena Ridge project site.
• In March, Resilient Forestry provided all information digitally (shapefiles, pdf maps, stand exam data, etc.) digitally to the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and the Darrington Collaborative for the Segelsen 2.0 project site.

3/1/19 Darrington Collaborative February 2019 Monthly Update 

• On 2/7 members of the Darrington Collaborative attended the Snohomish County Tourism Alliance kickoff Meeting in Monroe
• On 2/21 members of the Darrington Collaborative participated in a Washington Forest Collaborative Network call with Region 6 Forester Glen Casamassa

2/1/19 Darrington Collaborative January 2019 Monthly Update 

• On 1/16 members of the Darrington Collaborative participated in the Washington Forest Collaborative Network monthly call which featured a presentation on new fire research and modeling the impacts of wildfire.

1/1/19 Darrington Collaborative December 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 12/5, the Darrington Collaborative submitted a grant for $25,000 to the National Forest Foundation to fund a locally based part-time coordinator to assist with meetings, public relations, communications and overall coordination.

12/1/18 Darrington Collaborative November 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 11/6 members of the Darrington Collaborative met with leadership from the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to review the status of current projects and discuss future opportunities for collaboration.
• On 11/20. Members of the Darrington Collaborative met with the new Regional Forester for Region 6 of the U.S. Forest Service Glenn Casamassa in Portland, OR to introduce the Collaborative and its progress.
• On 11/21 members of the Collaborative gave an update at the Darrington Strong meeting in Darrington
• On 11/29 the Darrington Collaborative contractor met with MBS to review preliminary prescriptions for Segelsen 2.0 project

11/1/18 Darrington Collaborative October 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 10/3 members of the Darrington Collaborative participated in a field tour with WA Department of Natural Resources of the Bandera Thin project in the Snoqualmie Ranger District.  This project is the first Good Neighbor Authority project on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.
• On 10/16 members of the Darrington Collaborative hosted a field tour of the Segelsen 2.0 project. The tour was attended by representatives from the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Trout Unlimited, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe and Washington Department of Natural Resources.   
• In October, Darrington Collaborative’s contractor, Resilient Forestry completed initial work on the Helena Ridge project including stand exams, putting in 15 plots to collect data, flag in the boundary and an initial road assessment.
• In October, Resilient Forestry identified and flagged in stand boundary and temp road layout in the Segelsen 2.0 project area. 

10/1/18 Darrington Collaborative September 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 9/25, members of the Darrington Collaborative attended the quarterly dinner meeting of the North Cascade Hoo-Hoo Club. Darrington Collaborative Co-Chair Dan Rankin was highlighted as the guest speaker. 
• On 9/14 the Darrington Collaborative received confirmation that their $100,000 request for funding from the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ cross boundary competitive grant program was awarded. Hampton Mill, a Collaborative member, provided an additional $25,000 matching funds in support of the grant (for a total of $125,000).The Collaborative and DNR are currently developing a scope of work for activities funded in the grant.
• The objective of the Grant is to further advance forest collaboratives ongoing efforts in Washington State to implement landscape-scale forest restoration and management activities in support of statewide forest health priorities by providing financial support to conduct such activities.

9/1/18 Darrington Collaborative August 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 8/1, the Darrington Collaborative received a $25,000 grant from the WA Department of Natural Resources to help with capacity and coordination, develop an organizational logo and provide funding for technical analysis and implementation of a future restoration thinning sale in FY20.
• On 8/15, a member of the Collaborative participated in the monthly Washington Collaborative Network call discussing aquatic and road resources.
•  On 8/15, members of the Darrington Collaborative presented updates to Darrington Strong at their regular meeting.
• On 8/20, the Darrington Collaborative, joined by Suzan DelBene and staff, US Forest Service Darrington Ranger District staff, and Hampton Lumber staff, had a field tour of the Segelsen pilot project. 
• On 8/31, the Darrington Collaborative submitted a grant application as part of the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ cross boundary competitive grant program for forest collaboratives. The grant requested funding for forest restoration and stewardship work projects as well as the development of a monitoring program. 

8/20/18 Darrington Collaborative Field Tour with Congresswoman Suzan DelBene

The Darrington Collaborative hosted Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA01) on a field tour to their Segelsen pilot project that would provide restoration thinning on a dense plantation stand in order to enhance late successional character and a more complex structure to the stand moving forward. Receipts from the harvest will stay on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest as part of a stewardship project and be used for aquatic restoration efforts on the Clear Creek road. The collaborative also used this opportunity to discuss projects proposed to the Forest Service for fiscal year 2019 and beyond. Collaborative Members Tim Johnson (Hampton Lumber), Tom Uniack (Washington Wild), Paul Wagner (WA Society of American Foresters), Dan Rankin (Darrington Mayor), Thomas O’Keefe (American Whitewater) and Oak Rankin (Glacier Peak Institute) joined Congresswoman DelBene, who is also a non-voting member of the Darrington Collaborative. Also, present was three Forest Service staff from the Darrington Ranger District, three Hampton Lumber's staff and two WSU Youth Forestry Institute interns.

8/15/18 Darrington Collaborative July 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 7/12, members of the Darrington Collaborative participated in a field tour organized by the Pinchot Partners collaborative at Kraus Ridge near Randle, WA on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
• On 7/18, the Darrington Collaborative submitted a $25,000 grant to the WA Department of Natural Resources to help with capacity and coordination, develop an organizational logo and provide funding for technical analysis and implementation of a future restoration thinning sale in FY19.
• On 7/18, a member of the Collaborative participated in the monthly Washington Collaborative Network call discussing how different collaboratives are incorporating recreation planning and projects into their work.
•  On 7/18, members of the Darrington Collaborative presented April updates to Darrington Strong at their regular meeting.

7/20/18 Darrington Collaborative June 2018 Monthly Update 

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• On 6/6 members of the Collaborative attended a reception in Bellevue with members of the Forest Service Region 6 Forest Leadership Team.
• On 6/7 Collaborative members were invited to make a presentation to the U.S Forest Service Region 6 Forest Leadership Team during a field tour on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie region of the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.  This was an opportunity to highlight the successes of the collaborative since its origin, future projects and goals for the Darrington Collaborative and to encourage Forest Service leadership to continue supporting collaborative efforts on the Forest and in Washington State
• On 6/8 the Collaborative’s contractor (Stewardship Forestry) and staff from Hampton Mill completed the inventory and layout work for Segelsen 2.0 project.
• On 6/12 the Darrington Collaborative held the first public meeting of 2018. The meeting mainly focused on the proposed forest restoration projects to Forest Service. Also discussed were the details of Good Neighbor Authority and the potential uses on the Darrington Ranger District. In attendance were Darrington community members, representatives from the offices of U.S Representative Suzan DelBene and U.S Senator Maria Cantwell, State Senator Carolyn Eslick and our panelist – Peter Forbes, U.S Forest Service Darrington Ranger; Matt Comisky, American Forest Resources Council Washington Manager; Jenna Knobloch, Sustainable Northwest’s Washington Forest Collaborative Network Coordinator. All the public meeting documents and handouts are available on our website.
• On 6/20 collaborative members participated in the monthly Washington Collaborative Network call. This was an opportunity for a Q&A with Washington Department of Nature Resource staff to ask clarifying questions related to the grant application.
• On 6/20 members of the Darrington Collaborative presented April updates to Darrington Strong at their regular meeting.

6/15/18 Darrington Collaborative May 2018 Monthly Update 

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• On 5/1 members of the Darrington Collaborative, its contracting forester - Stewardship Forestry and the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest met to discuss the program of work associated with the Segelsen 2.0 project. The project is a 70-acre restoration thinning project in the same area as the Collaborative’s first stewardship project. The focus will be on ground based logging on slopes less than 35% and cable based logging for slopes in excess of 35%. 50-foot buffers will be applied for riparian streams.
• On 5/10 Darrington Collaborative’s contracting forester began flagging out timber sale boundaries for the Segelsen 2.0 project
• On 5/16 members of the Darrington Collaborative presented April updates to Darrington Strong at their regular meeting.
• On 5/24 Darrington Collaborative’s contracting forester did layout work on the west unit of the Segelsen 2.0 project
• On 5/28, Darrington Middle School students joined students from Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, WA for the sixth in a series of STEM education exchanges inspired by the Darrington Collaborative. Both Oak Rankin, Executive Director of Glacier Peak Institute and Mike Town a teacher at Tesla STEM High School are members of the Darrington Collaborative. Check out the video below that chronicles the learning exchange between Redmond Tesla STEM High School and Darrington Middle School during two separate days earlier this year. As part of the exchanges, Darrington students compared water quality from a local Redmond Creek to earlier samples taken from Darrington area rivers and did a lab on forensics. Check out the video of the most recent exchange: 

6/12/18 Darrington Collaborative Holds Public Meeting 

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On Tuesday 6/12 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Darrington Community Center, the Darrington Collaborative held their first public meeting of 2018. The meeting reviewed the past accomplishments by the Colaborative since July 2015 and laid out the Collaborative's vision and next steps moving forward. The meeting agenda included a number of guest speakers including U.S. Forest Service Darrington District Ranger Peter Forbes, American Forest Resources Council Washington Manager Matt Comisky and Sustainable Northwest's Washington Forest Collaborative Network Cooridnator Jenna Knobloch. Representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, U.S. Representative Susan DelBene as well as State Senator Carolyn Eslick attended the public meeting. You can view the following materials from the meeting:

5/25/18 Darrington Middle School/Tesla STEM High School Exchange Video #2

Check out the video below that chronicles the learning exchange between Redmonds Tesla STEM High School and Darrington Middle School during two separate days earlier this year. On 1/9/18 students from Redmond traveled up to Darrington for the day and on 5/2/18 Darrington students visited Redmond. The video captures the highlights of what both groups learned on both days.This was the sixthh such exchange organized and supported by Mike Town from Tesla STEM High School and Oak Rankin from Glacier Peak Institute who are both members of the Darrington Collaborative. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrHGHE9Ea2I&feature=youtu.be 

5/17/18 Darrington Collaborative April 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 4/2 the Planet Magazine, published by Western Washington University included an article focusing on the healing impact of the Darrington Collaborative on the healing in the wake of the 2014 Oso slide. Read the article.

•  During April, members of the Collaborative have been working to determine timber volume and road work needs in its next restoration thinning project with the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest along Segelsen Ridge near Darrington.

• On 04/05 and 04/06, members of the Darrington Collaborative attended the 2018 Pacific Northwest Forest Collaborative Summit Workshop in Hood River, OR, which was hosted by Sustainable Northwest. The goal of the workshop was to discuss local needs and initiatives with Forest Service regional leadership staff, state DNR staff, academia, and other regional organizations that play a pivotal role in our collaborative work. There were several breakout sessions offered that provided tools, best practices, and opportunities to develop solutions to forest management challenges. The Washington Forest Collaborative Network met at the end of the workshop to discuss Washington Collaborative Summit dates and to further discuss metrics.

• On 4/18 a member of the Darrington Collaborative participated in the Washington Collaborative Network monthly meeting. In the meeting we continued a discussion about finalizing metrics that collaborative groups would actively track and discussed details of Washington DNR competitive grants available to WA collaborative groups in 2018.

• On 4/18 members of the Darrington Collaborative presented March updates to Darrington Strong.

4/16/18 Darrington Collaborative March 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 3/11, the Darrington Collaborative provided GIS maps and project descriptions for a proposed second Segelsen CE project to the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest for consideration in FY18. The 70-acre CE will be one of several projects planned in FY18 and FY19

• On 3/21 members of the Darrington Collaborative provided and update on future goals and potential projects at the Darrington Strong meeting. Collaborative members presented maps and descriptions for two projects being proposed on the Darrington Ranger District. One project is being proposed for Fiscal Year 18 and the other for Fiscal Year 19. They spoke about the benefits of stewardships sales and the different mechanism available through federal and state agencies to do these projects. Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest staff was in attendance to provide clarification on Darrington Strong member's questions pertaining to stewardship sales.

• On 3/21 a member of the Collaborative participated in the Washington Collaborative Network monthly meeting. Anticipation of the 4/5 Pacific Northwest Collaborative Summit in Hood River, progress on the Network's new website and a discussion on what metrics to use in evaluating Collaborative work were all discussed.

• On 3/27 members of the Darrington Collaborative took a tour of Hampton Mill and met Hampton Lumber's new statewide Collaborative Liaison Anjolene Price.

• On 3/28 a compromise federal funding bill for FY2018 was passed by Congress and signed by the President.  Of significance a new provision will separate wildfire response from the Forest Service operating budget, ending the necessity to use funds from other agency priorities like roa maintenance restoration and vegetation management during wildfire season. This will provide more certainty for Forest Service capacity for community endeavors like the Collaborative. A number of Collaborative members worked to advocate for key elements of the compromise.

4/2/18 Planet Magazine Article Highlights Darrington Collaborative 

BRANCHING OUT

Four years after the deadliest landslide in U.S. history, Darrington, Washington, is a community on the mend.

https://theplanetmagazine.net/branching-out-24bb689bd464

3/16/18 Darrington Collaborative February 2018 Monthly Update 

• The Darrington Collaborative unanimously voted to approve Tim Johnson, Darrington Mill Manager, Hampton Lumber Company as a Board of Director. Tim will serve on the Board as a local/industry representative and fills the vacancy created by Bob Boyd’s departure after 3 years of service.

• Based on the January Tesla STEM High School/Darrington Middle School STEM exchange fostered by the Darrington Collaborative and Glacier Peak Institute, the participants produced the following video. 
• On 2/14 members of the Darrington Collaborative met with Peter Forbes and Darrington District Ranger Staff to discuss future opportunities to work with the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
• On 2/21 a member of the Collaborative participated in the Washington Collaborative Network monthly meeting
• On 2/26 members of the Collaborative met with Jamie Kingsbury, Forest Supervisor for Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to discuss future opportunities to work with the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest

3/5/18 Darrington Middle School/Tesla STEM High School Exchange Video 

Students from the 1/9/18 exchange between Darrington Middle School and Tesla STEM High School in Redmond created the following video of their work to analyze water quality from 12 rivers and streams and learn how to write code on micro computers. This was the fifth such exchange organized and supported by Mike Town from Tesla STEM High School and Oak Rankin from Glacier Peak Institute who are both members of the Darrington Collaborative. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBa3bIceRQs&feature=youtu.be

2/16/18 Darrington Collaborative January 2018 Monthly Update 

• On 1/9/18 more than 35 students and teachers from Tesla STEM High School in Redmond spent a day with students from the Darrington Middle School participating in STEM related activities (i.e., analyze water quality from 12 rivers and streams and learn how to write code on micro computers) in Darrington. This was the fifth such exchange organized and supported by Mike Town from Tesla STEM High School and Oak Rankin from Glacier Peak Institute who are both members of the Darrington Collaborative. This Spring Darrington Middle School students plan to visit Tesla in Redmond.
• In January , a member of the Collaborative met with Kirk Pearson, USDA State Director of Washington for Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• In January, a member of the Collaborative met with Jamie Kingsbury, Forest Supervisor for Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.

1/10/18 Darrington Collaborative December 2017 Monthly Update 

• On 12/13/17 the Darrington Collaborative formally elected the following individuals to the Board of Directors for a two-year term ending in 12/31/19 by a unanimous vote:
  • Dan Rankin, Darrington Mayor
  • Paul Wagner, Washington State Society of American Foresters
  • Steve Skaglund, Three Rivers Contract Logging
  • Bob Boyd, Retired logger and Darrington Area Resources Advocates
  • Tom Uniack, Washington Wild
  • Ben Greuel, The Wilderness Society
  • Thomas O’Keefe, Ph.D., American Whitewater
  • Jon Owen, The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Oak Rankin, Glacier Peak Institute
  • Mike Town, Tesla STEM High School
• On 12/13/17 the Darrington Collaborative formally revised its governance document (including technical changes) by a unanimous vote
• On 12/20/17 a member of the Darrington Collaborative participated in the monthly Washington Collaboratives conference call hosted by Sustainable Northwest  

12/13/18 Darrington Collaborative November 2017 Monthly Update 

• The Darrington Board had the following conference calls and meetings:
• On 11/15/17 a member of the Darrington Collaborative participated in the monthly Washington Collaboratives conference call hosted by Sustainable Northwest 
• On 11/16/17 members of the Darrington Collaborative presented (by invitation) to the Tulalip Tribe – Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest Government to Government meeting 

10/7/17 Darrington Collaborative's Segelsen Pilot Project Sold to Hampton Lumber

The Darrington Collaborative is pleased to announce the sale of our Segelsen stewardship pilot project 26 months after our conception. We would like to thank the MBS NF for their support and staff time in making this project happen on top of their existing workload.

Hampton Lumber secured the winning bid for the Segelsen stewardship sale, which was the first timber sale emerging from the Darrington Collaborative. Hampton offered a strong bid well over the minimum acceptable offer at $358,000, or $29.14 per ton.

 

The Segelsen restoration thinning sale is 69 acres with a total cruised volume of 12,293 tons, approximately 1,530 mmbf (million bf). This amounts to 22 mbf per acre, roughly 1/3rd of the total stand volume. Logs removed will be approximately 25% Douglas Fir and 75% Western Hemlock & Silver Fir.

In addition to providing restoration thinning to a previously harvested stand that will result in expediting late successional characteristics, the retained receipts from the thinning will stay on the Forest. As a stewardship sale, receipts will be used toward identified aquatic restoration work associated with the Clear Creek Road.

The Collaborative is also anticipating local economic benefits to the community of Darrington where Hampton owns an operating mill. Through a partnership with the Glacier Peak Institute, the Darrington Collaborative plans to implement post-harvest monitoring with local Darrington middle school and high school students providing STEM-related learning opportunities on the Segelsen site.

Stay tuned for future updates on this and other projects from the Darrington Collaborative. 

9/5/17 Public Meeting Highlights Segelsen Progress and Discusses future projects

A group of about 30 local residents, timber interests, U.S. Forest Service, conservationists and representatives from Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Suzan DelBene’s offices attended a public meeting of the Darrington Collaborative on Tuesday night from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

The agenda discussed the current Segelsen forest restoration contract that is currently out for bid and a discussion about upcoming projects that the Collaborative plans to be involved with.  These include a stewardship contract as part of the upcoming South Fork Stillaguamish Thinning Project and a larger restoration thinning project in the Segelsen area.

Representatives from the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest were on hand to answer specific questions about bidding on the Segelsen stewardship contract.

8/27/17 Darrington Collaborative Public Meeting Scheduled for Tues September 5, 2017 at 6:30 pm

Please join us for the upcoming public meeting by the Darrington Collaborative.

WHEN: Tuesday September 5, 2017 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

WHERE: Darrington Community Center

WHAT:  Public meeting hosted by the Darrington Collaborative to update the public on current progress and future projects and solicit feedback from local stakeholders

We are excited to share the progress on the Segelsen thin, the first project associated with the Darrington Collaborative which is currently out for bid.  

8/4/17 Forest Service Seeks Bids for Segelsen Stewardship Thin Contract 

4/27/17 Everett Herald Editorial Mentions Darrington Collaborative

“EDITORIAL: Darrington, Arlington still winners in many ways”

“It might sound like a rationalization, but Arlington, Darrington and the Stillaguamish River Valley that connects them didn’t have to come out on top at Wednesday’s announcement of America’s Best Communities competition to be winners.”

Read the full editorial: http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-darrington-arlington-still-winners-in-many-ways/

02/28/17 - Forest Service Greenlights Darrington Collaborative Segelsen Pilot Project 

"Peter Forbes, Darrington District Ranger for the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest signed a decision memo which completes the required analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act for the stewardship project of restoration thinning with drainage enhancements in both the Segelsen Creek area and Clear Creek road system as part of the stewardship contracting. “

The project, developed by the Darrington Collaborative in conjunction with the Forest Service, was part of a scoping notice in March of 2016. The Darrington Collaborative had several meetings with Forest Service staff to layout the sale and identify the aquatic restoration on Clear Creek. The group also held two field tours for local stakeholders, several public meetings and a contracting workshop in Darrington. “

“The focus now is on completing a stewardship business plan for the project and developing a draft bid for the sale. “

“Read the decision notice at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=49026

9/4/16 Everett Herald highlights Darrington Collaborative as Stilly Valley Future Developments

“Stilly Valley’s communities taking charge of their future”

“ARLINGTON — Leaders, business owners, neighbors and volunteers in the Stillaguamish Valley are pushing toward goals outlined in a plan for strengthening the economy after the 2014 Oso mudslide.”

Read the full article: https://www.heraldnet.com/news/stilly-valleys-communities-taking-charge-of-their-future/

4/8/16 Governor Jay Inslee announces new grant for Darrington Collaborative stewardship projects

“Gov. Jay Inslee yesterday toured the site of a proposed aquatic restoration stewardship project with leaders from conservation organizations, the local timber industry and the Darrington community who are members of the newly formed Darrington Collaborative. He announced a $20,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce to support the group’s work restoring critical habitat, improving water quality and creating local jobs.”

 “The Darrington Collaborative grew from the trust created by the conservation community and Darrington in the aftermath of the tragic state Route 530 landslide two years ago. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray initiated a dialogue between the community and conservation organizations with the support and encouragement of Inslee and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene. “

“The group aims to bring together a variety of interests, including those of the local timber industry and conservation community, to increase ecologically sustainable timber harvests near Darrington and create jobs while improving the health of forests and watersheds.”

Read Gov. Inslee’s press release: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-new-grant-darrington-collaborative-stewardship-projects 

3/20/16 - Forest Service Releases Notice of Intent for Darrington Collaborative Pilot Project

12/10/15 - Proposed Location for Pilot Restoration Thinning and Aquatic Stewardship Projects

• Send your thoughts on the information provided in this email to the Darrington Collaborative at info@darringtoncollaborative.org before Friday, January 15, 2016
• Attend the Darrington Collaborative's second public meeting on this subject:

8/6/15 Darrington Collaborative holds first public meeting ​

7/10/15 Everett Herald Chronicles Establishment of Darrington Collaborative

Everett Herald: “Logging partnership formed for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest”

DARRINGTON — A new partnership between loggers, conservationists, lawmakers and educators is aimed at creating more sustainable timber harvests in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Read the full article: http://www.heraldnet.com/news/logging-partnership-formed-for-mount-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest/