John H. Ehrenreich Jr.
The Washington Forest Protection Association family lost a member of our team and friend last week with the unexpected passing of John H. Ehrenreich Jr. on November 20th. John joined WFPA in 1994 upon the encouragement of then Government Relations Director, Steve Gano – they were both Vandals, attending the University of Idaho in forestry programs. John is known for his economic expertise, working with the Dept. of Revenue on Stumpage Valuations, and County Tax Assessors. He developed a software program to calculate the valuations and built relationships within this arena to ensure timber tax, valuations and property tax were fair, balanced and steady. He’s been the core of the economic world in forestry for 30+ years. If you happened to talk with John near a whiteboard, he would surely draw a “sigmoidal curve” showing the growth of timber and the “inflection point” where exponential growth starts to slow, indicating the optimal harvest age depending upon the discount rate of course. He was also known for his quick, dry wit – a quality that endeared him to many but occasionally got him into trouble. More than just a brilliant mind, John was a loyal teammate and cherished friend to his colleagues at WFPA.
Beyond economics, John and his family ran a log export business, before the federal government banned log exports, and tinkered around with his forested property up on a mountain in Idaho as well as other activities, including riding his motorcycle. When John joined our team, he first had to be convinced to come to the wet side of the state, (with his giant Persian cat, Sasha) and took to it naturally as he lobbied and wrote legislation often fixing technical issues that many would not have caught. In that capacity, current and former colleagues consistently praised John for his ability to “bring to life what should be dull policy” and present it in a way that helped people both appreciate and better understand the impacts of a tax policy. John was also known as the “computer guy” who was always rebuilding and tinkering with new technology.
“It was always a pleasure to watch the combination of John’s intellect, passion, and natural, disarming charisma open doors with legislators and effectively advocate for forestry,” said Jason Callahan, a former WFPA colleague of John’s. “He would go in with skeptics and come out with his audience genuinely liking and trusting him. That skill couldn’t be taught. It was just who he was.”
John’s professionalism and dedication to forestry earned him one of the industry’s highest honors in 2023: recognition as a SAF Fellow by the Society of American Foresters. This distinguished award, which honors leadership and service within the forestry profession, marked the continuation of a family legacy. Decades earlier, John’s father, John H. Ehrenreich Sr., was awarded SAF’s prestigious recognition, cementing the family’s enduring impact within the forestry sector.
In accepting his SAF Fellowship last year, John reflected on his lifelong career in forestry and the critical role working forests have in advancing environmental stewardship, economic opportunity and meeting society’s needs.
“Forestry is a force for good, advancing scientific understanding, promoting forest health, benefiting the economy, and providing society with renewable materials that enhance air, water, and wildlife habitat quality,” John said in 2023.
One of the most important issues he worked on at WFPA with then Executive Director Mark Doumit was the Logger Safety Initiative. Together they installed a “culture of safety” by developing curriculum and safety training that would lower the more than $20/hour manual logging L&I rate. Most importantly, it saved harm and lives by instituting a systematic process and statewide training for those working in the woods.
“John’s keen insights and advocacy on behalf of private forest landowners shaped critical policies that supported forest health and economic vitality across Washington state,” said WFPA Executive Director Jason Spadaro. “We will miss our friend and colleague but take comfort in recognizing that John leaves behind a legacy of stewardship, leadership, and compassion – a legacy rooted in the working forests he loved and nurtured, and in the lives, he touched so profoundly.
John is survived by his mother Dixie Ehrenreich and nieces Grace and Claire Lyman, nephew Thomas Lyman and Miss Kitty, his Ukrainian Devon Rex cat. WFPA will celebrate John during the Forest Products Legislative Reception in Olympia on January 16th 2025. Donations can be made in John’s name to Society of American Foresters in memory of John H. Ehrenreich Jr. You may add a recipient to notify: Tom Lyman tomelyman@gmail.com.
We’ll miss you bud!
