In the News

A collection of news articles involving the Olympic Forest Coalition over the years.

We the People: 1-30-22
Connie Gallant and Patricia Jones were invited by the North Olympic Group Sierra Club to present the information about the lawsuit against the Department of Natural Resources on “All the People” case. To view the Zoom presentation, please select following link:  “We the People”

Conservation NW: 3-12-21
Washington Supreme Court grants case arguing state forests must be managed for “all the people”
Conservation Northwest, Washington Environmental Council and Olympic Forest Coalition are pleased that on March 3, 2021 the Washington Supreme Court granted direct review in Conservation NW, et al. v. Commissioner of Public Lands et al., No.; 99183-9. This historic case asks the Court to interpret the plain terms of the Washington State Constitution providing that “all the public lands granted to the state are held in trust for all the people”. Read more

3rd Act Magazine: Fall 2020
Call of the Wild
Connie Gallant likes to say she learned how to speak English by watching Bonanza. She was born in Cuba, grew up in Boston, and lived in San Diego as a young adult. But she had never seen the wild places of the West up close until the day she and her husband, JD, decided to drive up to an old lodge in the Sierra Nevada, where they had heard there were a few job openings. Read more

WA State Dept of Natural Resources: 1-24-2020
DNR Awards $1.6 Million in Forest Restoration Grants to Forest Collaboratives in Washington
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has awarded nine organizations across Washington with a combined $1.6 million in grant funding to help make forests in their communities healthier and more resilient, including to wildfires. Through the All Lands Forest Restoration Grant Program, DNR awarded about $1.25 million to help these groups plan and conduct forest health treatments, such as the thinning of overly dense forests. Additionally, through the Building Forest Partnerships Grant Program, DNR awarded $350,000 to help the organizations reach potential partners and the public through outreach activities, such as public meetings, forest field trips, and website development. Read more

JUSTIA US Law: 3-9-18
Olympic Forest Coalition v. Coast Seafoods Co.
Pipes, ditches, and channels that discharge pollutants from non-concentrated aquatic animal production facilities are point sources within the meaning of 33 U.S.C. 1362(14). The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of a motion to dismiss an action under the Clean Water Act, alleging that discharges from Coast Seafoods’ hatchery required a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Read more

FINDLAW: 3-9-18
Olympic Forest Coalition v. Coast Seafoods Company
You can access a copy of the opinion here.

My Clallam County: 8-15-18
Olympic Forest Collaborative bringing harvesters and conservationists together
FORKS – Congressman Derek Kilmer was in Clallam County earlier this month to get an update on projects being carried out by the Olympic Forest Collaborative, which brings representatives from both the timber industry and conservation groups together to find ways to work together and avoid litigation often associated with timber harvest.

Kilmer was in the Sol Duc watershed area to get a look at the first project to be completed by the group, which combined timber harvest and habitat enhancement.

Sierra Pacific harvested the timber, and worked with the conservation group Olympic Forest Coalition, to see that it was done so as to preserve and even improve habitat features. Read more

Gravel2Gavel: 3-14-18
Ninth Circuit Discusses “Point Sources” Under The CWA
On Friday, March 9, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued another significant ruling in a Clean Water Act (CWA) Citizen Suit case. Affirming the District Court, the Ninth Circuit held “pipes, ditches, and channels that discharge pollutants from non-concentrated aquatic animal production facilities are point sources within the meaning of 33 U.S.C. § 1362(14).” Read more

PTLeader: 2-9-16
Olympic Forest Coalition suing Coast Seafoods
A nonprofit environmentalist group based in Quilcene is suing a shellfish company that is the largest private employer in south county, over an alleged need to filter effluent.

The Olympic Forest Coalition (OFCO) on Jan. 28 filed a federal lawsuit against Coast Seafoods Company alleging water pollution in Quilcene Bay. Quilcene resident Connie Gallant is president of the OFCO board. Read more

Read the Dirt
Olympic Forest Coalition: Peggy Bruton
Peggy Bruton is on the Board of Directors of the Olympic Forest Coalition. Peggy grew up and lived most of her life in Washington D.C. She joined the U.S. Peace Corps in 1961 and spent two years in Thailand, and then returned to raise a family and work as a freelance editorial consultant, with stints at Greenpeace and Defenders of Wildlife. Read more

OFCO Press Release: 6-12-19
Olympic Forest Coalition: Results Released of Two-year Growler Sound Study on the Olympic Peninsula
The study was conducted by Lauren Kuehne, MSc Research Scientist at the University of Washington’s College of the Environment School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Ms. Kuehne has undertaken one of the only scientific studies of the soundscape on the Olympic Peninsula. Read more

NW Fund Grantees 2016
Olympic Forest Coalition: OFCO Multi Year support – Year 1 of 5, $10,000

Maria Mudd Ruth: 11-3-15
Three Keers for Science!
Thank you all Marbled Murreleteers who have been supporting a Science-based conservation strategy for this imperiled species in Washington state. It’s been a long haul (at least two years of monthly meetings with the Board of Natural Resources), but today the board approved an expanded range of alternatives including one based on the 2008 Science Team report (officially known as Recommendations and Suporting Analysis of Conservation Opportunities for the Marbled Murrelet Long-Term Conservation Strategy, (Raphael, M.G., S.K. Nelson, P. Swedeen et al).  Read more

Peninsula Daily News: 10-16-13
Olympic Forest Coalition elects new president
QUILCENE — Connie Gallant of Quilcene has been elected president of the Olympic Forest Coalition board. Former President John Woolley remains as vice president for the coalition, a nonprofit organization based in Quilcene. Read more

Olympic Peninsula Environmental News: 10-9-10
Olympic Forest Coalition Takes Stand Against Biomass Burner in PT
The Olympic Forest Coalition, a nonprofit, membership organization based on the Olympic Peninsula, is opposed to the permit approval of the Port Townsend Paper Mill Cogeneration Incinerators being proposed. Aside from the serious sustainability issues of such a facility, the health of the residents of Port Townsend and Jefferson County is clearly threatened. Read more

The Harder Foundation: 2020 Grantees
Olympic Forest Coalition – $15,000
Read more

Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Washington Broads Survey Roads for Olympic National Forest
Broads covered a lot of ground in the Queets watershed this past summer in the Olympic National Forest in Washington. The Great Old Broads for Wilderness Polly Dyer/Cascadia Broadband, working with The Olympic Forest Coalition (OFCO) and the Olympic National Forest, and other volunteers participated in the Citizen Road Survey and Monitoring Project. Read more

Mason County Public Health
More Information about Hood Canal & Its Watersheds (by Organization)
Olympic Forest Coalition Promotes the protection, conservation and restoration of natural forest ecosystems and their processes on the Olympic Peninsula.