Keeping our forests healthy, whole and wild.
The trees that make up our forests are some of the oldest living things on Earth, many of them older than America itself. These forests provide crucial habitat for thousands of species. They provide limitless opportunities for recreation, exploration and wonder. What’s more, our forests absorb and store carbon dioxide, which makes them crucial allies in our race against climate change. Together we can protect our forests from road-building, logging, development and other threats.
Between the new executive order that President Biden signed on his Earth Day visit to Seattle, and a momentous decision from a Washington state agency, Washingtonians have a lot to celebrate coming out of Earth Day 2022. Here is a breakdown of the highlights:
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday signed a memorandum to clarify the U.S. Forest Service’s direction on climate policy. The memo, "Climate Resilience and Carbon Stewardship of America's National Forests and Grasslands," follows a recent White House executive order highlighting the importance of conserving mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as a climate solution. The memo, which lays out “actions to restore forests, improve resilience, and address the climate crisis”, falls short in meeting the ambition outlined in President Joe Biden’s order on old forests and trees. Secretary Vilsack acknowledges the role that older trees play in absorbing and storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. But he fails to outline a plan for his agency to protect mature and old-growth forests and trees from commercial logging.
A coalition of groups, including Environment Washington, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and more launched an effort Tuesday called the Climate Forests campaign. It will focus on protecting older and mature trees on federal lands that are most critical in the fight against climate change.
At Costco’s annual meeting, 69.9% of participating shareholders voted to accelerate reduction of Costco’s carbon emissions, despite the board’s recommendation to the contrary
As Washingtonians experience the consequences of climate change — record heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and shrinking snowpacks —69.9% of the shareholders in Costco*, one of the largest retailers in the world, voted yes on a shareholder proposal that calls on Costco to set “short, medium, and long-term science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets” to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
By changing how they make tissue products, American companies can help protect the boreal forest.
