LAST STAND: SAVING THE ELWHA RIVER’S LEGACY FORESTS, 23min., USA
Directed by Dan Herz
When a large, ecologically sensitive legacy forest in the heart of the Elwha River Watershed was identified for harvest, the Earth Law Center, Keystone Species Alliance, and Center for Whale Research began using all legal means possible against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in an attempt to halt the impending clear-cut. Through breathtaking cinematography and intimate interviews, witness the profound beauty and ecological significance of the watershed, as well as the dire consequences of unchecked deforestation.
Get to know director Dan Herz & Star Elizabeth Dunne
Dan: I met a woman named, Missy Lahren, at an event in San Francisco and she told me about the legacy forests up in Washington state and how she and the law firm where she worked – Earth Law Center, were trying to prevent the state from auctioning off legacy forests for timber harvest. After she explained about the Elwha River, the undamming, the healing of the watershed, the salmon coming back, etc., and how logging could damage the watershed, after spending hundreds of millions of dollars to remove the dams, I felt that it was a story that needed to be told.
Elizabeth: I want people to understand the imminent risk to our last remaining older legacy forests in the Elwha Watershed and Washington state, and really throughout the Cascadia Bioregion. My hope is that through watching the film people will understand what is happening to our forests and why it is important; that they will take action – including by voting for Dave Upthegrove, who was featured in the film, to be the next WA Public Lands Commissioner; and will feel empowered to bring people together in their own communities to protect the places they love.
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