WA State Forests, Wildlands Not Doing Well, Says Annual Study

The WA State Department of Natural Resources annual report on the health and status of our forests and wildlands doesn’t look good, and it was only 3/4 completed.

  Budget Cuts Result in Only 75 Percent of Wildlands Surveyed

According to the report from DNR, of the 22.1 million acres of forest and wildlands in WA, 16.5 million were surveyed by aerial (aircraft) means. The data is from the latest 2025 survey.

According to DNR, budget cuts affecting WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife as well as some to the US Forest Service, resulted in less than a full survey.  A variety of programs and equipment are used to determine the health of WA forests, including potential insect and other blight outbreaks and activity.

At least 391,000 acres were found to be dead or diseased, according to the data. That number is actually lower than 2024, but Officials say with the reduced survey, it’s probably actually higher as 25 pecent of the lands were not surveyed.

  Why Was the Survey Incomplete?

The Aerial Detection Survey, or ADS as it is known, suffered from the loss of some key personell who help conduct it. Among the most glaring was the Department of Fish and Wildlife eliminating its pilot position last August, and retired its Partenavia P68 twin-engine aircraft that played a huge role in the survey. Here is an image of damage caused by an invasive insect. The affected area is brown.

According to the DNR:

“Going forward, the loss of experienced staff, expanded administrative burdens, and the use of more costly private vendors will significantly affect DNR’s ability to survey the entire state without consistent federal funding and reinstatement of USFS ADS positions.”

Some in the DNR are pointing at Federal US Forest Service reductions, but $8 million in budget cuts to DNR have also hindered many operational efforts.

What is the overall health of WA state’s forests and wildlands? To see the ADS report, click here.