Arbor Day Foundation grant to help plant seedlings

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 5, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A $185,200 grant from the Arbor Day Foundation will help the state Department of Natural Resources plant more than 220,000 seedlings on forestland affected by root diseases spreading through western Washington, including two sites in Clallam County.

The sites are primarily on county and common school trust lands.

The effort is aimed at rebuilding forest stands by using a mix of eight different native species to try to limit the risk of future losses from the disease — a problem that has affected large areas of working forest, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Among the species are Douglas fir, Western red cedar, Western hemlock and red alder.

Root rot, a fungal disease that spreads through soil, causing root systems to decay, can linger for decades. It has long-term implications not only for forest health but also for timber production and revenue.

Diversifying plantings is meant to create more stable forests — better able to support wildlife, withstand disease, insect infestations and storms, and keep producing timber, DNR officials said.

A 2013 state Academy of Sciences report prepared for DNR found laminated root rot can reduce Douglas fir timber production by 5 percent to 15 percent — losses that translated to about $10 million in forgone revenue from July 2009 through June 2011.

“These reforestation activities will create future forests that are more resilient to disease, insects, and climate stressors,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said in a news release.

“This grant will ensure these lands continue to provide ecological and social value for generations to come. I’m deeply thankful to the Arbor Day Foundation for their support of Washington’s forests.”

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Reporter Paula Hunt contributed to this story.