ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE LIABILITIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]

ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE LIABILITIES

ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE LIABILITIESVarious federal and state environmental laws in the states in which we operate place cleanup or restoration liability on the current and former owners of affected real estate. These laws are often a source of “strict liability,” meaning that an owner or operator need not necessarily have caused, or even been aware of, the release of contaminated materials. Similarly, there are certain environmental laws that allow state, federal, and tribal trustees (collectively, the “Trustees”) to bring suit against property owners to recover damage for injuries to natural resources. Like the liability that attaches to current property owners in the cleanup context, liability for natural resource damages (“NRD”) can attach to a property simply because an injury to natural resources resulted from releases of contaminated materials on or from the owner’s property, regardless of culpability for the release. For additional information, see Note 13 - Environmental and Natural Resource Damage Liabilities in the 2020 Form 10-K.

Changes in environmental and NRD liabilities from December 31, 2020 to September 30, 2021 are shown below:

	Port Gamble, WA
Non-current portion at December 31, 2020	$10,615
Plus: Current portion	1,026
Total Balance at December 31, 2020	11,641
Expenditures charged to liabilities	(762)
Increase to liabilities	71
Total Balance at September 30, 2021	10,950
Less: Current portion	(1,095)
Non-current portion at September 30, 2021	$9,855

These estimates were based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable; however, actual results may differ from these estimates. See Note 2 - Merger with Pope Resources for information regarding the final allocation of fair value to environmental and NRD liabilities assumed in the merger with Pope Resources. It is expected that the upland mill site cleanup and NRD restoration will occur over the next two to three years, while the monitoring of Port Gamble Bay, mill site and landfills will continue for an additional 10 to 15 years. NRD costs are subject to change as the scope of the restoration projects become more clearly defined. It is reasonably possible that these components of the liability may increase as the project progresses. Management continues to monitor the Port Gamble cleanup process and will make adjustments as needed. Should any future circumstances result in a change to the estimated cost of the project, we will record an appropriate adjustment to the liability in the period it becomes known and when we can reasonably estimate the amount. For further information on the timing and amount of future payments related to our environmental remediation liabilities, see Note 12 - Commitments.