In 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to save old growth trees on public lands. This year the U.S. Forest Service released a draft National Old Growth Amendment, which could ultimately require weighing the climate impacts of their logging plans, and a commitment to save old growth forests. But that amendment needs to be strengthened before it is finalized. Contrary to current climate science, it includes managing old growth forests with extensive logging, under the guise that logging improves old-growth trees and makes forests more resilient to climate disruptions, extreme heat, fires, and pests. The public and the scientific community are calling on the Forest Service to stop logging old growth forests, and to prioritize the value of forests for climate and biodiversity above the value of timber.

More coverage on the proposed National Old Growth Order, US Forest Service, and Department of Natural Resources discussion:

Columbia Oversight: Washington has few older forests left. Why does the Department of Natural Resources keep logging them?

Eugene Weekly: Old-Growth Forests and Oregon’s Healthy Ecosystems

Duluth News Tribune: Forest Service policy can help maintain, restore old-growth forests