Old-Growth Forest Protections Proposed by Biden Administration
For Immediate Release: December 20, 2023
Old-Growth Forest Protections Proposed by Biden Administration
In a crucial step toward forest and climate preservation, the Biden administration announced a proposal on Tuesday for the protection of old-growth areas across National Forests. This latest step aligns with the president’s 2022 Earth Day Executive Order to identify mature and old-growth forests on federal lands, assess their threats, and plan policies to conserve them as natural climate solutions. The Administration’s proposal would amend all 128 forest management plans within the National Forest System to restrict logging in old-growth forests.
The proposed policy will undergo review and be the subject of upcoming public comment periods. This policy is long overdue, as the majority of old-growth forests across the country have already been logged and a large portion of what little remains is located on federal land. Some of these old-growth areas are still within the bounds of planned timber sales and logging projects, but these projects will have to undergo further review as a part of an additional announcement on Tuesday from the Forest Service Deputy Chief. Mature forests were not addressed by the proposed policy, but will be an important consideration in the development of future old-growth forests.
“Old-growth forests are amazing in many ways, including their role in regulating our climate.” said Old-Growth Forest Network Executive Director Sarah Adloo. “Their ability to continue growing and thriving without interference from logging is paramount to their ability to store carbon in their long-lived trees and complex soils, which are often resilient to wildfire. We are encouraged to see federal action on forest conservation and climate protection that pushes to protect the old-growth that remains.”
The Old-Growth Forest Network is a member of the Climate Forests Campaign, a coalition of more than 120 organizations working to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests on federal land. Together with coalition partners, the Campaign welcomed this much needed and important step, while reminding the administration of the importance of mature trees as a key part of forests’ role in climate protection.
In response, Climate Forest Campaign organization members issued the following statements:
“Our ancient forests are some of the most powerful resources we have for taking on the climate crisis and preserving ecosystems,” said Sierra Club Forests Campaign Manager Alex Craven. “We are pleased to see that the Biden administration continues to embrace forest conservation as the critical opportunity that it is. This amendment is a meaningful step towards averting climate catastrophe, safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems, and fulfilling President Biden’s commitment to preserve old-growth and mature trees across federal lands.”
“The Administration has rightly recognized that protecting America's mature and old-growth trees and forests must be a core part of America's conservation vision and playbook to combat the climate crisis,” said Garett Rose, senior attorney at NRDC. “This announcement is an important step toward meeting these goals. The Forest Service should move forward to develop the strongest possible safeguards for these forests.”
“Americans love our forests. They're natural playgrounds for people and wildlife alike. That’s why more than half a million people this summer asked the Forest Service to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests,” said Ellen Montgomery, Public Lands Campaign Director with Environment America. “Our mature and old-growth trees provide critical wildlife habitats, filter drinking water for communities and absorb and store tons of carbon. We’re really pleased that the Forest Service has taken this unprecedented step and we urge them to take actions to protect mature forests. To have a future where we have more old-growth, not less, it is critical to protect mature forests as well.”
Contact:
Sarah Adloo, Old-Growth Forest Network, Executive Director