Not all mature forests in Washington State are protected, but there is a movement afoot to change that. Environmental groups RE Sources and The Center for Responsible Forestry in Bellingham held a rally this week to show their support for protecting mature forests. Mature, or legacy, forests refers to sections of forest that are technically too young to be protected. Old growth forests are protected by the state and contain trees that have not been logged, allowing some to grow 100 years or longer, while mature forest have been logged sometime before 1945, then allowed to grow back naturally. …More than 100 people attended the rally Tuesday evening at the Maritime Heritage Park Amphitheater. The goal was to spread the message that these mature forests need to be protected, and will eventually turn into old growth forests if given the chance.