Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Name

Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Legal name

Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Website

https://dnr.wa.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Natural Resources Management

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Biodiversity Conservation & Habitat Banking (AFAMAMAC), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB)

Keywords

• State land management
• Timber sales auctions
• Wildfire protection services
• Public recreation access
• Aquatic resources management

Headquarters

HQ city

Olympia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Timber Sales: DNR auctions timber from 2.1 million acres of state trust lands, generating sustainable revenue for public school construction and other trust beneficiaries through competitive bidding processes.
2. Land Leasing: More than 1 million acres of DNR-managed land generate revenue through leases for agriculture and grazing, mining and mineral extraction, clean energy, communication sites, and commercial real estate. Leases are offered at public auction or through re-lease negotiations.
3. Shellfish and Aquatic Leasing: State aquatic lands are leased for shellfish beds, marinas, rights of way, and other activities. Revenue comes from selling rights to harvest renewable resources like wild geoducks and other shellfish.
4. Product Sales: Sales of forest products including timber, brush, salal, biomass byproducts, minerals, tree seedlings from Webster Forest Nursery, maps, and Discover Passes.
5. Geoduck and Shellfish Harvesting Rights: Revenue generated by selling rights to harvest renewable resources like wild geoducks and other shellfish from state-owned aquatic lands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Washington State Department of Natural Resources manages approximately 5 million acres of state trust lands and 2.6 million acres of aquatic resources in Washington State. The agency sells timber, leases land for agriculture/grazing/mining/clean energy, operates the Webster Forest Nursery producing 8-10 million seedlings annually, sells the Discover Pass for recreation access, provides maps and survey data, leases aquatic lands for shellfish and marina operations, and delivers wildfire protection services across 13 million acres. Revenue generated supports public school construction, universities, and county trust beneficiaries.

Product overview

Washington State Department of Natural Resources operates as a comprehensive natural resources management agency managing approximately 5 million acres of state trust lands. The agency's portfolio includes a platform-plus-modules architecture consisting of: (1) Land and Resource Management programs including Timber Sales, Mining and Mineral Leases, Agricultural/Grazing Leases, Clean Energy Leases, and Commercial Real Estate; (2) Forest Management including Forest Practices, Forest Resilience Division, Forest Resources, Webster Forest Nursery (producing 8-10 million seedlings annually), Habitat Conservation Plan, and Olympic Experimental State Forest; (3) Aquatic Resources managing 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands with leasing, restoration, science, and shellfish programs; (4) Recreation management across 3.3 million acres with approximately 1,300 miles of trails at 160+ sites, including the Discover Pass; (5) Washington Geological Survey studying geologic hazards and producing maps; (6) Natural Heritage Program tracking rare species and ecosystems; (7) Wildfire Resources providing firefighting on 13 million acres; (8) Natural Resources Police for law enforcement; (9) Engineering Division for land surveying and forest roads; and (10) Landowner Assistance Portal providing resources for private forest owners. Revenue-generating programs support public schools, universities, and other trust beneficiaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Natural Heritage Program (WNHP): Program to identify rare species and ecosystems in Washington state, maintain a database of their locations, and develop a statewide register of natural areas
• Webster Forest Nursery
• Discover Pass
• fpOnline

Products and services

• Webster Forest Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-10 million seedlings produced annually by Webster Forest Nursery
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR uses Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) and Shared Stewardship agreements with the USDA Forest Service to work collaboratively across land management boundaries to advance shared priorities and coordinate investments at a landscape scale. The Federal Lands Program focuses on using state expertise, resources and mechanisms to increase restoration work on federal land throughout Washington.
• Evergreen Mountain Bike AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnership with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance made new mountain biking trails in Naneum Ridge State Forest possible, with more trails to come. Partnership enabled opening of 14 miles of new mountain biking trails near Ellensburg.
• WRIA 7 Partners (Snohomish River Watershed)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR Aquatic Invasive Species Program participates in the Snohomish River Watershed Salmon Recovery Strategy with WRIA 7 partners. In 2021, provided 12 weeks of Puget SoundCorps crew assistance to weed control partners in King and Snohomish Counties.
• Washington Conservation Corps (Puget SoundCorps)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR Recreation Division partners with the Washington Conservation Corps through Puget SoundCorps, a program that provides crew assistance for conservation work including knotweed survey and control on salmon spawning gravels.
• Port DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR works closely with public ports to ensure waterways are free and available for commercial transportation. DNR and its predecessors have worked with Port Districts since 1911 when the Legislature authorized formation of Port Districts to ensure citizens receive a balance of benefits from state-owned aquatic lands.
• Forest Health CollaborativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR works with forest health collaboratives throughout Washington state, offering grant programs to help collaboratives increase their capacity and conduct more forest health work.
• Tribal GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR is dedicated to honoring the sovereignty of Washington's tribes and works with tribal governments on forest health, land management, and environmental protection programs.
• Other Law Enforcement AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNR Police Officers frequently work with and provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies including local police, sheriff departments, and federal agencies.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Washington's other major natural resource agency, managing fish, wildlife, and habitat that directly intersect with DNR's aquatic and forest programs (e.g., WRIA 7 salmon recovery, aquatic invasive species). Operates in the same jurisdiction with closely linked mandates.
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Oregon's state wildlife and fish agency, analogous to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Engages in closely related habitat and species protection that overlaps with DNR's Natural Heritage Program and aquatic resource management in the Pacific Northwest.
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: New York's consolidated state environmental agency combining forestry, wildlife, fisheries, land management, recreation, and regulatory enforcement. Provides a useful east-coast comparable to DNR's all-in-one natural resource stewardship model, though with different forest composition and revenue drivers.
• Oregon Department of Forestry: Oregon's state forestry agency, performing an almost identical mandate to Washington DNR: state forest management, timber sales from trust lands, fire protection, forest practices regulation, and urban forestry across millions of acres. Directly comparable in scope, revenue model, and forest health focus.
• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE): California's combined state forestry and fire agency, analogous to DNR's combined forest management and Wildland Fire Management Division. Operates the state's largest firefighting force, manages timber sales, and runs vegetation management programs, making it the closest functional peer in scale.
• Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission: Operates state parks across Washington, the natural counterpart to DNR's recreation portfolio (3.3M acres, 160+ sites). Same state-level jurisdiction, overlapping outdoor recreation user base, and complementary Discover Pass economics.
• Maine Forest Service: Maine's state forestry agency focused on forest policy, forest practices regulation, landowner assistance, and forest health monitoring on a smaller timberland base. A close structural peer in mandate even though timber markets and ownership patterns differ.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Forest Service: Federal forestry agency managing national forests across the U.S. DNR partners with USFS through Good Neighbor Authority and Shared Stewardship agreements, allowing DNR to perform restoration work on federal lands. Same core activities (timber, fire, recreation) but at national scale and with federal funding mechanics.
• Bureau of Land Management: Federal land management agency overseeing 245M+ acres of public land with timber, grazing, mining, recreation, and conservation programs. Operates at significantly broader scale and across multiple states, making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Others

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Federal agency delivering farm bill conservation programs, technical assistance, and landowner cost-share that complement DNR's Forest Resilience Division and Landowner Assistance Portal. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waDNR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WAstateDNR
• Facebookfacebook.com/WashDNR
• Instagraminstagram.com/washdnr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-state-department-of-natural-resources

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington State Department of Natural Resources