About OFCO

The Olympic Forest Coalition promotes the protection, conservation and restoration of natural forest ecosystems and their processes on the Olympic Peninsula.

The programs of OFCO focus on educating members of the public, officials, agencies, and other environmental, community and recreation groups on issues of importance to help achieve these goals.

Get to know OFCO's Board of Directors.

Our organization was formed in March 1989, as the Quilcene Ancient Forest Coalition, to promote the protection of old-growth forests, specifically on the former Quilcene Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest. In 2002, we made a decision to become a forest-wide, non-profit group. Since that time, our focus has expanded to also include the Olympic Experimental State Forest.

Our accomplishments include:

• Sponsored and coordinated a climate change conference in February 2007 with the University of Washington's Olympic Natural Resources Center to allow scientists, agency representatives, and citizens an opportunity to discuss and plan for how this issue will affect the Olympic Peninsula.
  
• Won a major court decision that blocked a Board of Natural Resources plan to drastically boost logging on State Forests.
  
• Successfully appealed the Snow Salmon Timber Sale and negotiated a beneficial settlement with the Forest Service.
  
• Successfully appealed a proposal by the Forest Service to reconstruct the Dosewallips road through old-growth forest, prompting an environmental impact statement.
  
• Put in place a forest-wide monitoring program which evaluates and provides formal input on all major management decisions on the Olympic National Forest.
  
• Developed a field research program (ROMP) to inventory and map temporary roads on the Olympic National Forest.
  
• Began a campaign to advocate for new Wilderness designations through our Olympic Wild Committee and in conjunction with the Wild Washington Campaign.
  
• Initiated a program to influence DNR issues, particularly on the Olympic Experimental State Forest, in coordination with the Washington Environmental Council.
  
• Organized a variety of field trips to look firsthand at management activities, past, present and future.
  
• Served on the Olympic Provincial Advisory Committee and the Olympic Resource Advisory Committee.
  
• Organized and sponsored the May 2003 conference Models for Protection of National Forests attended by a variety of conservationists, agency officials, and industry reps.
  
• OFCO is devoted not only to monitoring and intervening on behalf of the natural marvels of the Olympic National Forest and Olympic Experimental State Forest, but also to share and emphasize the findings of our region's scientists, while communicating a positive vision of a more respectful and forward-thinking relationship with these lands and waters.