The Biden administration’s plans to conserve old-growth forests on federal lands are months from becoming final, but they’re already raising questions about previously approved timber projects. Supporters and opponents of the administration’s policy are compiling lists of projects on national forests to prove their points, including a 4,438-acre timber harvest canceled in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest in 2023. In that case, the agency cited “potential tension” around the Flat Country project, even though officials said none of the logging would occur in old-growth. …Environmental groups called the Flat Country decision “a welcome example of the type of leadership the public expects.” Timber industry groups had the opposite view. The retreat on the Willamette project was an early sign the administration’s approach would cast a cloud on already-approved forest management work, said Nick Smith for the American Forest Resource Council. [to access the full story a Politico Pro subscription is required]