The Forests and Fish Project Manager will lead Washington Conservation Action’s (WCA) work on forest practices and the Adaptive Management Program (AMP). WCA represents the conservation community in the Timber Fish and Wildlife Policy Committee— which was established by the historic Forests & Fish Law and is a core component of the AMP. The AMP plays a central role in establishing, evaluating, and adjusting Washington’s state’s forest practices on the 9.3 million acres of private forestlands subject to the Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The AMP’s goals include compliance with the Endangered Species Act for aquatic and riparian species, restoring and maintaining riparian habitat to support a harvestable supply of fish, and meeting the Clean Water Act requirements for water quality. 

The Project Manager plays a pivotal role by both representing the conservation community externally at a multi-stakeholder table, and by collaborating with the Conservation Caucus on approach in the AMP. With input from the Conservation Caucus, the Project Manager negotiates policy recommendations with other caucuses within the Policy Committee of the AMP: eastside tribes, westside tribes, industrial timber, small forest landowners, counties, DNR, Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Policy Committee makes recommendations to the Forest Practices Board, which is the public body responsible for adopting the rules and guidance for private timber harvest activities.  The Conservation Caucus’ objective is to ensure strong, science-based forest practices protecting fish and clean water. This position offers a unique opportunity to ensure strong protection of our state’s forests and aquatic resources, and strengthen the environmental community’s participation in the AMP.