This little woodland is a pocket of native, ecological intelligence and memory, the legacy of what was there before. If the land was cut in the early 1900’s then it was done by hand, without artificial replanting. That makes it really valuable. It’s as close as we get to the original in most places. It is a small legacy forest. I wonder how much the market value of those big trees figures into the equation. And how ironic that rather than maintaining the trees, they cut them down to build a building to maintain our machines.

— Rob Lewis, The Climate According to Life

In March, 2026, Lopezians discovered that a large area of Odlin Park will be destroyed for a maintenance building. No one saw the SEPA notice, and so we all missed the public comment period and any ability to say “No” to this project.

Several large trees will be destroyed to make way for the building, along with all the underbrush habitat. 

Here are just a few of the trees who will be cut down for a maintenance building at Odlin:

Jimi

Grand Fir

15″ diameter

75 years old

Kurt

Douglas Fir

12″ diameter

60 years old

Amy

Western Hemlock

23″ diameter

115 years old

Art works of the Odlin trees and habitat

Morning light

Bark rubbing from Amy

Losing friends

Email a tree with your message

Public lands were intended to be a safeguard against the very industrialization that many now seek to normalize and promote. In stark contrast to how most private lands are managed, public lands offer us a rare opportunity to advocate for the landscapes and species we want to see flourish. In many parts of the country, they are the only places left where one can still experience wild nature. But hope requires clarity: We must confront the reality that the status quo has failed us.

— Adam Bronstein, The Wildlife News