What if we could have healthy forests, a healthy climate, healthy communities, and thriving local economies?

We think it’s possible, and it’s what Sustainable Northwest has been working toward for 30 years. Along the way, we’ve had incredible wins and gains, but now, we’re kicking it up a notch.

Opsis Architecture and Sustainable Northwest celebrate the new Redmond Senior and Community Center, built in part with Mass Panel Plywood, using wood from climate-resilient forestry and restoration in Oregon. LEED recently awarded the project with a point in its green building certification system for building with climate-resilient wood, and being able to trace the wood back to its forest of origin..

Follow along as we learn about the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribes' efforts to restore their ancestral forests in SW Oregon.

The Blue Mountains in Malheur National Forest was recently the site of significant new research conducted over 10 years showing that mechanical thinning greatly improves forest healthy and resiliency. Photo credit SNW.

Sustainable Northwest recently convened 15 architects, designers, construction firms, and others in the green building space for a tour in John Day, OR. The trip included visits to Woodgrain’s sawmill in Pilot Rock, Malheur Lumber in John Day, and restoration projects on the Middle Fork John Day and Malheur National Forest.

Sustainable Northwest board members, staff, and partners gathered in Joseph, Oregon for a deep dive into our new Regenerative Ranching program.

After two years of lockdown, social distancing, and Zoom happy hours, Sustainable Northwest was eager to kickoff summer 2022 with our first in-person board meeting and field tour since 2019.

Prescribed fire effectively reduces hazardous fuels, restores ecological conditions across a range of landscapes, has a long history with many indigenous peoples, and supports habitat for Tribally-important flora and fauna.

Despite its indispensable role in forest restoration, there are many barriers to significantly limiting the use of prescribed fire in projects.

Knowing the source forest of your wood matters for a lot of the same reasons that knowing where your food comes from.