Tell the U.S. Forest Service to protect old-growth forests from logging

Thank you for proposing to protect old-growth national forests from commercial logging. Our old-growth trees are critical for wildlife, people and public health, and this is a big step toward preserving them for future generations.

Please ensure that the final plan does not include exceptions that allow continued logging of old-growth for commercial gain and please consider including protections for mature trees in the final policy.

Old-growth should be protected from logging in all ecosystems, including in southeast Alaska. The only exceptions should be for protecting public health and safety, including protecting communities and infrastructure from wildfire, to comply with statutes or regulations and for culturally significant uses.

If old-growth trees must be logged for these reasons, they should not be sold to timber companies. Instead, they should be left in the forest to continue as part of the ecosystem just as if they had fallen due to natural disturbances.