Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Washington State Department of Natural Resources, hereafter called “Agency/DNR”, is initiating this Solicitation to solicit proposals from firms interested in a project to identify and map forest areas at high risk of conversion and to prioritize geographies for conservation or protection based on ecological importance, social, economic, and cultural factors. The Agency works to strengthen the health and resilience of Washington State’s forests, advance climate resilience, and develop and implement solutions to protect working forests across the state. Forest conversion and the fragmentation of forested landscapes have wide-ranging impacts, from increased wildfire risk to negative impacts on local water quality. Maintaining forest cover and avoiding conversion of working forests to other uses has benefits to local economies, wildlife, adjacent landowners, and a diverse suite of ecosystem services and values. A wide variety of incentives and programs exist to discourage the conversion of existing forests. The Agency plans to identify potential gaps and opportunities to strategically work to maintain forests as forests and protect working forests across the state.
