PROTECT ANCIENT FORESTS
On March 1, 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order — putting America’s majestic mature and old-growth National Forests at risk by attempting to sidestep bedrock environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act.
On April 4, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins took another major step towards the destruction of our treasured National Forests by issuing a Secretarial Memo that establishes an “Emergency Situation Determination” on 112,646,000 acres of National Forest System (NFS) land — threatening nearly 60% of America’s life-sustaining National Forests. The “emergency” was declared on public lands all across the West, and also in mature and old-growth forests in the East including in New England’s White and Green Mountains, on over a half million acres in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest, in North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, and more…
Your generous support sustains this energized grassroots movement.
We must continue to amplify ‘The Voice of the Forest’
Please view our short film — which is a testament to the power of community, art, poetry and music to meet the most pressing issue of our time.
Indigenous leaders, key members of Congress, renowned musicians, poets, artists, professors, writers, scientists and inspired citizens are uniting across the country to demand the protection of our nation’s last remaining old-growth forests.
Why Protect Ancient Forests?
Ancient forests, also known as old-growth forests, serve as the lungs of our planet. These majestic ecosystems naturally sequester enormous amounts of carbon, reduce wildfire risk, supply clean drinking water, and provide refuge to endangered species.
Despite their immense benefits, these treasure troves of biodiversity on United States public lands are still being commercially logged today.
It is not too late to forever protect America’s mature and old-growth forests. But we must act now.
Future generations are counting on us during this critical moment.
Photograph by Alyssa O’Brien
Protect Ancient Forests presented:
Climate Aid: The Voice of the Forest
Protect Ancient Forests hosted a historic evening of art and advocacy on Sunday, October 15, 2023 at the City of Portland’s Merrill Auditorium.
We rallied together an inspiring coalition of nationally-known musicians, poets, environmental voices, artists, congresspeople, and Indigenous leaders to help raise awareness about our nation’s irreplaceable old-growth forest ecosystems.
Learn more about our impactful event in this Portland Press Herald article.
For up-to-date information about the status of old-growth forest protection, please read:
Raising awareness by promoting the arts and sciences.
Please click the button below to discover a collection of short films, music, articles and inspired conversations that will help us better understand the forests and the importance of this issue.
We must end old-growth logging once and for all … before it’s too late.
Maps: https://carbon.nasa.gov