The North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative (the Collaborative) brings together stakeholders in the Upper Columbia region ranging from government agencies to local tribes, non-profit conservation groups and timber industry; all with the purpose of collaborating to improve forest resiliency. The Collaborative operates on consensus, and while the process can be slow, when agreement is achieved the results are tremendous.

A great example of this success is the Mt. Hull Project that is located near Oroville, Washington, and identified as priority for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF). The project aims to improve riparian habitat, maintain and restore vegetation patterns, reduce wildfire hazard, and modify the transportation network.

The Collaborative began engagement on the Mt. Hull Restoration Project in 2016 through investment in the landscape analysis and field reconnaissance. In 2019, the Collaborative successfully reached consensus and submitted a letter of support to the OWNF for the Draft Environmental Analysis which advised to treat Mt. Hull with commercial/non-commercial thinning, prescribed fire, and restore riparian habitat in Hayley Canyon.

The exceptional cooperative effort to support the restoration work in this project is made possible by the funding provided by the National Forest Foundation. This funding supports the many conversations and meetings necessary to reach consensus and contributes greatly to the overall success of the restoration work planned.

To learn more about the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative: https://www.ncwfhc.org/