RELEASE: Local elected officials sign letter to protect North Carolina’s old-growth forests

48 officials from across state urge Biden Administration to ensure strong protections

Raleigh, N.C. – As the public comment period closes for the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) National Old-Growth Amendment, locally elected officials from across North Carolina submitted a sign-on letter in an effort to achieve stronger old-growth protections. The letter was submitted to the USFS as a public comment on Thursday. The comment period closes 11:59 pm ET, Friday, September 20th.

In the letter, the officials explain the importance of old-growth trees to North Carolina due to their ability to store more carbon than younger trees, which helps to mitigate climate change, and through providing important habitat for native endangered wildlife. 

“With North Carolina feeling the effects of worsening climate change, we cannot afford to lose our few remaining old-growth forests as natural resources against this threat,” said Emily Mason, advocate with Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center, who organized the sign-on letter.

The letter requests that the USFS strengthen the proposed amendment by prohibiting the sale of logged old-growth and taking into account the unique traits of eastern U.S. forests when developing a plan to protect old-growth. The letter also asks the USFS to create a pathway to establish protections for “mature” trees, the next generation of old-growth. Protecting mature trees would help increase the abundance of old-growth in the future.

“North Carolinians recognize the vital importance of our old-growth forests and are making their voices heard,” said Mason. “North Carolina’s old-growth trees are worth more standing and need to be protected for generations to come. The national old-growth amendment is supposed to protect our old-growth forests, but as it is currently written it will unfortunately fail to do so.”

Advocates are encouraging the public to submit comments to the Forest Service on the old-growth amendment process before Friday’s deadline.