Washington's maple syrup potential

Scientists from the University of Washington are testing the viability of making maple syrup in the Pacific Northwest. Long associated with Canada or Vermont, this sweet forest product that has graced many a breakfast table may be part of this region’s future.
Washington maple syrup is made from the watery-looking sap of bigleaf maple trees, one of the most abundant native hardwood trees in the Pacific Northwest. Given the right winter weather conditions, bigleaf maple -- even here in Western Washington -- can be utilized for their sap.
Researchers with the UW’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences are proving this concept in a pilot project at the university’s Pack Forest near Eatonville, Washington. As part of a research initiative funded by USDA’s ACER program, they are producing syrup and measuring factors that might affect the bigleaf maple and their sap. This winter, the project expanded to additional sites across Western Washington, where private landowners were given seed money to begin collecting sap on their properties.
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Video produced by Kiyomi Taguchi / University of Washington