The Darrington Collaborative: Balancing Conservation and Economic Progress

The drive from Seattle into the Cascade mountains quickly plunges into dense, green tunnels of evergreen forest — and just as rapidly, reveals patches where the forest has been cleared. Nestled among the trees is the small town of Darrington. A church welcomes visitors with a sign made from a saw blade. Its high school mascot is “the Logger.” And for more than a century, its residents’ lifeblood has been timber. Logging has put Darrington squarely on the frontlines of rural conservation battles.

Things reached a low point in the early 1990s, when environmentalists and timber companies fought over how much, if any, logging should take place on federal forests. Then, in 1994, the federal government quickly passed the Northwest Forest Plan, covering over 24 million acres in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The largest forest and ecosystem management plan in the nation, the policy has safeguarded streams, salmon, and old-growth forests — now crucial for climate change mitigation. Since then, very little management has taken place on federal forest land in Washington. Forests have grown too dense, becoming unhealthy and susceptible to catastrophic wildfire. And communities like Darrington suffered.

As the Northwest Forest Plan gets updated this year, community-based groups like the Darrington Collaborative are working to show how conservation can more successfully co-exist with rural communities. They hope to find new solutions for other towns surrounded by federal forest land.

Collaboration is crucial.

The Darrington Collaborative formed in 2015 to modernize ecological practices and innovate in ways that wouldn’t leave anyone behind. Its ten members include representatives from timber companies and environmental groups like The Wilderness Society, as well as key civic leaders like Darrington mayor Dan Rankin. Since then, the group has launched multiple demonstration projects. Each shows how management techniques can work in practice — like restoration thinning, which involves managers helping forests become more diverse and clearing space for remaining trees to grow.

Forest management increases biodiversity and also makes forests more resilient to fire. This kind of approach allows for collaboration between conservationists and timber companies to meet their mutual goals of sustainable timber harvesting and forest restoration.

One of the key goals of the Darrington Collaborative is to find new economic opportunities that support existing sawmills as well as new potential ventures that benefit from the town’s abundant natural resources. Recognizing the potential for outdoor recreation, Darrington hopes to capitalize on its picturesque proximity to rivers, glaciers, waterfalls, and mountains. Additionally, the town has received funding to explore the use of mass timber construction techniques, with the aim of creating new economic opportunities and jobs.

Seeding hope

Following the Oso landslide, Darrington found itself searching for new solutions that aimed to minimize environmental damage. The hope is that the Darrington Collaborative’s efforts will lead to more wood available for local communities to support existing sawmills as well as new economic opportunities.

In 2020, the city government proposed the Darrington Wood Innovation Center, to pursue a new construction technique called mass timber. This project could someday provide up to 120 jobs, including highly-skilled positions for engineers and architects, as well as entry-level positions. The project aims to encourage young people to stay in Darrington and benefit from the new opportunities.

Unlocking more from the outdoors

Darrington also hopes to capitalize on another major economic driver: outdoor recreation. The town sits near a daredevil mountain bike network, famed rock climbing areas, and popular hiking spots in national forests. Recognizing the potential economic benefits of outdoor recreation, the Glacier Peak Institute has been established to introduce local kids to wilderness opportunities and encourage them to engage in outdoor activities.