INTERVIEW: ‘Dark Woods Justice’ follows law enforcement into heart of Olympic peninsula

Dark Woods Justice, which premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 10 p.m. on Discovery, follows law-enforcement officials as they monitor the wild terrain of Washington’s Olympic peninsula. In this upper northwest part of the United States, the woods are dense, the wildlife is truly wild and the weather can change quite quickly. On the show, it’s up to a host of sheriff’s deputies to ensure the beautiful landscape remains beautiful, but their obstacles are numerous.

On the reality series, Lt. Matt Stower, of the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, has to deal with many different cases, ranging from natural resource theft to poaching. For the unbeknownst TV viewer, trees might seem like an odd commodity for the black market, but in the Pacific Northwest, arbors like the western big leaf maple can fetch a lot of money because the wood is used for guitars and other musical instruments, Discovery states in a press release. The deputies are also tasked with finding missing persons and protecting the communities that call this picturesque area home.

Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Stower about his unique job and the unique terrain he patrols. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.

How long have you been with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, and what does a typical day’s work look like?

I have been with the [sheriff’s office] for 30-½ years. With respects to the topic of the show, I have been involved with resource theft and protection since I started. I have worked large scale emphasis patrols, large timber theft cases as well as small ones. I have worked with legislators in 2005 to improve the statute. I have testified at legislative hearings in support of the statute. In 2008/2009, I worked on a legislative work group to re-write the Specialized Forest Products statute.

A typical day of work for a patrol deputy is much like any other law enforcement officer. However, being in a rural environment, we also get livestock calls, water rescue incidents and of course resource thefts. In the remote areas of the county, a deputy’s backup is 45 to 60 minutes away, and that increases when they are out in the woods.  

With Washington’s Olympic peninsula presenting some unique challenges, how prepared to do you have to be for the vast wilderness of the area?

It is imperative that all our deputies have a basic understanding of the wilderness. That can be a challenge during the training process because not all our recruits are from this area. They have grown up in a city and have only experienced the outdoors through state and federal parks. Learning how logging roads are designed, knowing the direction water flows, a sense of a compass direction and keeping track of where you are at are all things that most of us have to learn. The lucky ones have grown up around here and are hunters or hikers. Even at that, you still have to be aware of where you are to get help if you need it. Most of the time, we are on our own.

Is poaching and natural resource theft a major problem in the area?

Most [definitely]. Unfortunately, most of it goes unreported or is not discovered until well after the fact. With our staffing so low, we typically don’t have the opportunity to run the logging roads to try to find the theft sites. That is why the Specialized Forest Products statute is important. It gives law enforcement a tool to intercept stolen wood either on the road or at the mills or brush sheds. The buyers are required to record specific information with each delivery. Failure to do so is a criminal violation. We have more of an opportunity to conduct buying facility inspections than we do searching for the theft sites.

How does jurisdiction work in the area? Being that the county includes a national park, reservation and state forest, I imagine there’s a lot of agencies working together.

There are multiple jurisdictions in our county. The U.S. Parks have sole jurisdiction over the Olympic National Park. The U.S. Forest Service and GHCSO have concurrent jurisdiction over the Olympic National Forest. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have jurisdiction over all hunting except on the Indian reservations, of which we have two. Washington Department of Natural Resources law enforcement have concurrent jurisdiction with us on DNR land, and Washington State Parks also have concurrent jurisdiction on Parks land. We also work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Coast Guard as well as local and tribal law enforcement.

Was it difficult to get used to the cameras for the reality series? Were you immediately open to the idea?

When I was first approached by PGS Films about the Discovery Channel wanting to do a show, I thought to myself why in the world would they want to. After talking with them, I realized that probably most of the country didn’t know much about the area. As for the cameras, it didn’t bother me.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Dark Woods Justice premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 10 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Click here for more information.