Protect climate forests from logging

America's mature and old-growth forests — natural climate solutions that remove and absorb large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere — could win stronger protections if enough people weigh in to urge federal agencies to act.

Safeguarding and expanding these carbon-rich forests on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands is one of the most important, cost-effective, and immediately available strategies to fight the climate crisis. Older trees accumulate and store enormous amounts of carbon over many centuries and provide vital wildlife habitat, clean water, clean air, and mitigation for floods and droughts. Larger, older trees are also far more fire resistant.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released an inventory of mature and old-growth forests, a crucial first step in protecting these climate forests. In addition to releasing their inventory, the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have announced steps to protect mature and old-growth forests on federal lands and are collecting comments from the public to help develop a rule. Urge BLM and USFS to issue a rule protecting climate forests.

The agencies are focusing on a variety of threats to these forests, including from fire, but is not yet prioritizing logging as a significant threat. We need to keep the pressure on, and build broad support for a strong, long-lasting national rule that protects mature and old-growth trees across federal lands from logging.

Unfortunately, mature forests and trees on federal lands are threatened by numerous proposed and ongoing logging projects, in spite of the executive order to conserve them. We need to ensure America's mature and old-growth trees and forests remain in place to mitigate climate change, and to maintain their natural benefits for future generations. Tell BLM and USFS to urgently issue a rule to protect mature and old-growth trees from logging in America's federal forests.
Dear Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Forest Service,

Thank you for taking this initial step to protect, conserve, and manage our public lands. We are calling on you to urgently create a strong, lasting national rule that protects mature and old-growth trees and forests across federal lands from the threat of logging. Protecting and recovering these natural climate solutions would be a crucial piece of U.S. climate policy.

Safeguarding and expanding carbon-rich forests on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands is one of the most important, cost-effective, and timely approaches to fighting the climate crisis. Mature trees store and continue to absorb large amounts of carbon in addition to providing the public with clean drinking water, habitat for imperiled wildlife, and world-class recreational opportunities. Larger, older trees are also far more fire resistant, and a well-constructed rule would not preclude necessary science-based efforts to address the risk of fire.

Unfortunately, vital mature forests and trees on federal lands are currently threatened by numerous proposed and ongoing logging projects, in spite of President Biden's executive order to conserve them. We need to ensure America's mature and old-growth trees and forests remain in place to mitigate climate change, and to maintain their natural benefits for future generations. Thank you for your leadership on these important issues.

Sincerely,
[Name]
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