19th District Representatives Jim Walsh of Aberdeen and Joel McEntire of Cathlamet have issued a joint statement criticizing a recent decision by the Washington Forest Practices Board. On Tuesday, the board voted 7-5 to expand riparian buffer zones along fishless streams — areas where logging is restricted to protect the environment.

Walsh and McEntire argue the change will remove millions of dollars’ worth of harvestable timber.

In their joint statement, they said, “Today’s proposal adopted by the Washington Forest Practices Board is a disaster — an affront to science, proven forest practices, and the financial well-being of all Washingtonians. This rule guts what’s left of the timber industry in our state. It hurts rural counties, hurts schools, hurts libraries, and damages the livelihoods of thousands of families who depend on sustainable forest management.”