Biden Administration taking public comments on forest protections

There’s nothing quite like walking through an old growth forest in Oregon. Magnificent Douglas firs and Western hemlocks stand like giants against the sky, while huge ferns, vine maples, manzanita and wildflowers dot the understory. Douglas squirrels climb the towering trees to get a better look at you as the clatter of a woodpecker rings in the distance. For the patient — and the lucky — you may even get a glimpse of an elk or a spotted owl.

These incredible old-growth forests used to cover most of Oregon, but today only a small fraction remains. Many of these trees and forests, along with approximately 50 million acres of mature forests, are on federal lands in the United States and are not protected from logging.

Old-growth forests are crucial habitats for thousands of species. The longer trees grow, the more time a fully-fledged, interconnected forest ecosystem has to develop.

Mature and old-growth forests are also critically important in the fight against our changing climate. They absorb huge amounts of carbon — more than 10% of the U.S. annual climate pollution — and are a climate solution that we lose the moment we chop them down.

That’s why we’re calling on the Biden administration to enact a rule this year that protects mature and old-growth trees and forests on federal public lands from logging in Oregon and across the country.

Please add your name to our public comment in support of more protections for our oldest trees.