Proposed logging near South Whidbey salmon stream raises alarm

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 24, 2026

A permit filed with the state Department of Natural Resources proposing the establishment of a 37-acre logging area at the headwaters of Quade Creek on South Whidbey has raised concerns over potential environmental impacts.

Quade Creek feeds into Maxwelton Creek and the broader Maxwelton Watershed and is a known salmon habitat. Marnie Jackson, executive director of Washington Environmental Action Network, said removing trees from the site could increase flooding, clog culverts and threaten downstream roads, habitat and property.

Jackson contends the permit underreports the wetlands and steep slopes on the property, making it especially vulnerable to erosion and downstream impacts if logged. These factors “combine to make this a very vulnerable property in terms of the potential for erosion and significant downstream impacts if it is logged.”

Jackson highlighted the Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom as one downstream area that could be at risk from the logging project. The facility, which is run by the Whidbey Watershed Stewards, hosts environmental lessons in the spring and fall for K-5 students and features a public trail.

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon emphasized that trees play a vital role in ensuring water recharge for aquifers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated Island County with the “Sole Source Aquifer” status in 1982, meaning aquifers are the primary source of drinking water for the county.

Bacon said the permit has been distressing for citizens, noting that she has received 97 emails from her constituents related to the proposed logging. This is largely what motivated her to reach out to the state asking them to reconsider the permit.

“Citizens are really up in arms about this one,” she said.

Bacon explained that while she respects the right of the landowners to do what they want with their own property, she also acknowledges that actions carried out on private land can “impede on the rights of other property owners and the general public.”

The landowners declined to comment on the logging permit.

Michael Kelly, the Department of Natural Resources’ communications director, explained in an email statement that the project application is currently under review and that “staff will review both the application and public comments as the process moves toward a decision.”

Bacon added that while Whidbey Island once had a very timber-focused economy more than a century ago, this is no longer the case.

“I really would appreciate it if the state would recognize that and quit treating us as though we were a timber county,” she said. “It just doesn’t fit in with the environment here, it doesn’t fit in with the culture here, it doesn’t fit in with the residents here.”

Jackson described the land planned for clearcutting as a “legacy forest” that has not been logged since the early 1900s, giving it a unique ecosystem. She stressed her desire for a conservation alternative that avoids clearcutting the forest.

“The biodiversity there is perhaps some of Whidbey Island’s best mature forest and forested wetland habitat,” Jackson said. “And so I just hope that the landowners understand what a precious ecosystem they have and what’s at stake if it’s logged. “

Bacon said she hopes the Department of Natural Resources will either deny the logging project entirely, or issue a Class IV-Special permit rather than the more lenient Class III permit. This would allow Island County to conduct its own reviews and assessments of the property to determine whether the project can proceed.

Even though the deadline for formal comments to the Department of Natural Resources has passed, Jackson suggested residents contact Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove and Forest Practices Forester Grant Becker to make them aware about any concerns they have with the logging project.

“Communities on Whidbey Island want the Department of Natural Resources to behave accountably and to let communities have a say in what logging is permitted,” she said.

The Department of Natural Resources expects to issue a decision by July 31.