Right now, the fate of America’s remaining old growth forests is in our hands.

Greetings from Protect Ancient Forests!

We are at a critical juncture in the history of our planet, and it is essential that we properly safeguard our natural environment for the sake of ourselves and future generations.

In direct response to the energized grassroots movement that we have all created together, the Biden administration has boldly directed the U.S. Forest Service to conserve old-growth across all National Forests.

This is an historic moment — a first-of-its-kind sweeping protection of nearly 25 million acres of old growth trees across U.S. public lands — and it is a direct result of us all collectively lifting our voices.

Recently, the Forest Service also admitted that protecting these treasure troves of carbon and biodiversity will not result in the loss of industry jobs or increase timber costs, debunking any economic argument against ending old growth logging once and for all.

We are encouraged that we are getting closer to protecting our irreplaceable ancient forest ecosystems — but we must not celebrate too soon…

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The plan (known as the National Old-Growth Amendment) that is being formally advanced by the Forest Service (with a public comment period ending on September 20) does not actually call for a blanket prohibition on old growth logging. 

Instead, it carves out several exceptions that permit the agency to “manage” old growth forests whenever they deem it to be necessary to protect against wildfire, pests and disease.

This may seem reasonable until you look at how many egregious and unnecessary old growth timber sales the agency still, to this day, tries to advance under the guise of “fire mitigation” and “forest resiliency.”  Much of the clearcut logging that they propose has been proven to actually increase the severity of wildfires and make forests far less resilient, which is why several of those logging projects (including the Black Ram logging project that we were instrumental in stopping) remain held up in federal appeals court, wasting taxpayer dollars.

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Despite a firm and outspoken commitment by the White House to end old growth logging, the U.S. Forest Service refuses to fully cooperate.  As an agency of the Department of Agriculture, they still treat forests like crops (that they deem to be a renewable resource), despite recent scientific consensus confirming the unique complexity and importance of old growth forest ecosystems.  Sadly, in 2024, the Forest Service has proven themselves to be unfit stewards of our nation’s remaining old growth.

Therefore, the most logical path forward is to transfer management of these treasured ecosystems to the Department of Interior — where folks can be trusted to make any necessary management determinations (if needed to mitigate wildfire, pests and disease) with the invaluable input of local Indigenous wisdom, the latest forest and climate science, and a spirit of restraint and reverence.

Please click “How to Help” in the menu to support Protect Ancient Forests’ energized grassroots movement!  Together, with your voice, we will amplify The Voice of the Forest to ensure that we forever protect the woods, the water, the wind, and the wildlife — and those who depend on them, too!

Onward,

Alyssa & Michael

Protect Ancient Forests, Co-Founders