Planting a tree can seem like an easy win for the planet. It’s a popular pledge for corporations and organizations eager to participate in sustainability programs and promote environmental responsibility. But here’s the catch: not all trees have the same impact, and not all tree-planting efforts contribute to forest sustainability.

As we approach International Day of Forests, a time meant to raise awareness about the importance of trees and forests, it’s worth asking: Are we missing the forests for the trees?

Many sustainability programs focus on planting but often overlook the critical role of future forest management — particularly the need for processes like forest thinning. Thinning removes competitive trees which allows the healthiest trees to grow larger and more valuable, and be better equipped to withstand droughts, wildfires, diseases and insect infestations.

This process often yields low-value wood, which once had a stable market, particularly within pulp and paper mills. However, as demand for these products declines, so do the economic incentives to carry out this essential management practice, leaving forests at greater risk of wildfire and ecological instability. Even though markets shrivel, mills close and forest-reliant communities look elsewhere for work, forests keep growing.

Markets for low-value wood have been declining for decades. In 1979, there were 115 pulp and paper mills operating in the South; by 2020, that number had dropped to 74. Today, only five pulp and paper mills remain in South Carolina, a state where agriculture and forestry are the dominant industries. When mills close, hundreds of jobs are eliminated in the process, leaving communities that rely on forests for economic viability scrambling.

Pursuing sustainability is good, and we must prioritize thoughtful consideration of the potential harmful effects of our well-intentioned actions. And those potential effects go beyond just issues of supply and demand.

By 2030, the World Economic Forum has made a goal to conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees around the world. This is a noble cause, but we must ask ourselves how many of these trees will provide the desired effects of carbon sequestration, water management, soil erosion prevention, biodiversity and possible forest products?

History has shown that poorly planned environmental efforts can do more harm than good. In the 1930s and ‘40s, kudzu was planted across the Southeast to combat soil erosion. Unanticipated, it spread dramatically, smothering otherwise thriving forests and native plant species, and this invasive species continues to plague the region to this day.

At The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities – the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to America’s working forests and the communities that rely on them – we know healthy forest management is a science, and its foundation is formed by economics and thoughtful planning. Through our three-pronged approach advancing the health of forests, markets, and communities, the Endowment promotes the myriad benefits of responsibly managed forests, shifting the way the public views forest resiliency.

Long-term stewardship of our working forests bolsters over 500 million acres of forested land and supports 2.9 million American jobs. Each year, more than one billion trees are planted in our working forests, creating a data-driven cycle that ensures every tree harvested is replaced by planting more.

We must continue to grow the understanding that harvesting trees is not inherently harmful; it is responsible harvesting that ensures forest health. Less than 2% of working forest land is harvested each year, which provides a steady supply of timber – used in building houses and furniture – while maintaining an ecological balance for the future.

Planting should not be done simply for the sake of optics. By adhering to non-specific initiatives that are sustainable in name only, we perpetuate our own crisis.

On this International Day of Forests, let’s continue our pledge towards healthy forest stewardship which goes beyond planting trees.

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Alicia Cramer is the chief operating officer of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities.