'What Does the Forest Mean to You?' -- Forestry Association Launches New Television Advertising Demonstrating Washington's Commitment to Salmon Recovery

OLYMPIA, Wash., June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA), a group of private forest landowners, launched its new television and internet campaign today, which can be seen on www.forestsandfish.com. The campaign will air statewide throughout Washington on major networks and cable television. The ad asks the question "What Does the Forest Mean to You?" and features responses from a variety of perspectives.

"We think this is some of our best work to date, working with our new agency -- Copacino + Fujikado," said Cindy Mitchell, Sr. Public Affairs Director for WFPA. She further stated, "The private forest landowners in Washington understand the importance of practicing forestry in line with public values and communicating about the strong environmental laws to protect those values."

What makes this year's advertising special is that it occurs on the tenth anniversary of the passage of the Forests & Fish Law. House Bill 2091, passed with strong bi-partisan legislative support and signed into law June 7, 1999 instituted one of the most sweeping set of changes for salmon recovery in the forested streams of Washington State. The law ensures that more than 60,000 miles of streams and 9.3 million acres of state and private forests contribute to salmon recovery, protecting cool clean water and salmon habitat, while securing jobs in rural forest communities in the state.

"There have been many accomplishments, especially in removing blocked culverts or other barriers to salmon habitat. More than 2,800 blockages have been repaired which opened up nearly 1,500 miles of new fish habitat across the state," said Executive Director Mark Doumit.

The Forests and Fish Law puts in place a scientifically based adaptive management program and monitoring process to evaluate the impacts of forest practices on fish habitat and clean water. If peer-reviewed science shows that practices need to change, they will through this process.

"Salmon is important to all of us because it's part of who we are. Protecting and maintaining forested stream habitat to help salmon is an important goal of the Forests & Fish Law," said Billy Frank, Jr. Chairman, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.

Washington Forest Protection Association is a trade association representing private forest landowners in Washington State. Members of this 100-year old association are large and small companies, individuals and families who practice sustainable forestry in Washington's private forests.

Media Contact: Cindy Mitchell, Senior Director of Public Affairs, 360-791-9372 cmitchell@wfpa.org

SOURCE Washington Forest Protection Association

RELATED LINKS
http://www.forestsandfish.com