Sunnie Merritt

The county’s draft rules, buried in Title 17 zoning updates, slap some of the nation’s strictest regulations on commercial and hobbyist horse operations

Forest management is essential, but the method matters. Hand thinning offers a sustainable, low-disruption alternative to mechanical, prescribed, or chemical approaches, prioritizing ecosystem health over speed or scale.

Unlike younger forests, old growth isn't "pristine" in a static sense—it's dynamic, shaped by natural disturbances like windstorms or small fires. The DNR's guide for identifying old growth in western Washington emphasizes these traits over strict age, noting that true old growth often emerges after 200 years in wet coastal forests like those in Kitsap County.