The Twisp Restoration Project proposes landscape-scale aquatic and terrestrial “restoration” activities on over 77,000 acres within the Twisp River, Alder Creek, Rader Creek, and Wolf Creek drainages (excluding areas in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness). This includes over 20,000 acres of commercial thinning – the largest logging proposal in the District’s history. Citizens Council staff have spent many hours evaluating the project and have identified some important issues that must be addressed. We are working with our members and the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative to identify ways to address these concerns and improve the project. Some of our top concerns include:

• The proposal allows for the cutting of large trees, departing from the Forest Service’s own Restoration Strategy
• New ATV access along the Upper Twisp River does not belong in the proposal
• The proposal should fully take into account large areas already in special old-growth reserves, roadless status, and/or with potential for wilderness designation
• Salvage logging should not be included in the proposal
• The project’s scale and complexity demand additional opportunities for public engagement 

It is critically important that the Methow Valley community take part in the public process. This project can be successful – even beneficial –  if local citizens ensure that their collective voices are heard. We encourage you to draft personalized comments based on your direct on-the-ground knowledge and experience before the Friday, December 18th deadline. We have created a comment guide to provide some background and context. Together we can create healthy, resilient forests for generations to come.

How to submit comments on the Twisp Restoration Project:

• Submit electronically by https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=56554.
• Or by U.S. Mail to Eireann Pederson, Project Leader, Methow Valley Ranger District, 24 West Chewuch Rd., Winthrop, WA 98862.