The mission of the Timber, Fish, and Wildlife (TFW) Program is to identify and address threats to salmon stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act within the Nooksack River Basin.Through participation in the review of actions such as Forest Practice Activities and Road Maintenance and Abandonment Plans, the Program strives to make salmon recovery a reality instead of simply a vision.

The TFW Department monitors Forest Practice Activities in the entire Nooksack River Basin. Forest Practices go way beyond merely logging and include the following:

1. Screen Forest Permit Applications to ensure that natural resources and public safety are protected.
2. Participate on InterDiciplinary (ID)Teams with other resource professionals to make on-the-ground timber and forest road resource management decisions on extremely sensitive sites.
3. Review Forest Road Maintenance & Abandonment Plans to see that fish passage barriers are correctly identified and repaired, culverts are sized properly, and that sediment laden water is not delivered to streams.
4. Assess stream-type changes proposed by landowners (that often reduce riparian protection for salmon) to determine fish presence or absence. Fish presence ensures riparian protection upstream as far as fish can penetrate the stream.
5. Review and provide Lummi Policy decision-makers with technical information to aide in shaping public policy impacting natural resources.
6. Monitor cumulative impacts of Forest Practices to help determine if regulations are sufficient to restore salmon runs to sustainable and fishable populations.

CEDAR BARK GATHERING NOTICE: There is an area in Whatcom County open for single-pull cedar bark gathering on a DNR parcel ahead of its sale. Tribal members can gather in the general area of this planned timber harvest until July 31st, 2026. Contact TFW or Wildlife staff for specific location and access information. As a reminder, cedar bark gathering is always open on federal forest lands.