In 2022, the Biden administration began to chart a course to conserve mature and old-growth forests. Now, the U.S. Forest Service is taking comments on the proposed National Old-Growth Amendment that could protect old-growth forests from logging. This is an important step, but it can and must be stronger. Submit a comment to the U.S. Forest Service asking them to:
- Stop old-growth trees from going to the mill. There is broad agreement that what we have left is too precious to cut.
- Lay groundwork for durable protections for mature forests, to ensure that they are able to develop into our next generation of old-growth forests.
NOTE: Completely personalized comments make SUCH a difference. Please write your comment directly into the message box. Feel free to draw from these talking points, and be sure to include why protecting forests is important to you, your loved ones, and your community!
TALKING POINTS
- Old-Growth Forest Management
- Despite being cherished across the country, old-growth forests on federal lands remain unprotected from logging.
- Most Americans don’t know this, but National Forests are managed very differently than our National Parks
- National Forests are within the Department of Agriculture - and treated just like a crop.
- That’s just wrong. Especially for mature and old-growth.
- Your Connection to Forests
- Recall the first forest you explored.
- Where was it? How old were you? What did you see?
- Do you remember the first time you saw a photo of a particular forest that captured your imagination?
- Where was it? Have you been there yet?
- If we protect these forests, future generations will be able to make those same memories.
- Forests are Valuable! They Provide…
- Clean Water
- For more than half of the population of the United States, clean water doesn’t start at the tap – it starts in a nearby National Forest.
- Carbon Storage and Climate Solutions
- Forests are one of the most efficient, scalable, and cost-effective ways we have to absorb and store carbon – period.
- According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is specifically dedicated to advancing climate change science: “Forestry can make a very significant contribution to a low-cost global mitigation portfolio that provides synergies with adaptation and sustainable development. However, this opportunity is being lost in the current institutional context and lack of political will to implement and has resulted in only a small portion of this potential being realized at present."
- Protecting forests is not only a low-cost carbon solution but also one that boosts climate adaptation and sustainable development.
- The science is clear, the best tool for addressing carbon pollution is also the oldest – our trees and forests.
- Wildlife Habitat
- Protecting our forests keeps more than trees standing – it preserves vital habitat for the wildlife we love
- More than 3,000 species of wildlife live within our National Forests!
- Right now, the U.S. loses a football field worth of natural space to development every 30 seconds, putting countless vulnerable species at risk of extinction.
- Outdoor Recreation
- Protecting our forests is an investment in our economy and expands outdoor equity.
- In 2019, Forest Service lands tallied 150 million recreation visits, generated $10.1 billion in local spending, and supported 153,800 jobs.
- 80% of outdoor activities -- from camping to fishing to sport climbing -- have seen an increase in participation in recent years, and those visiting the outdoors are becoming more diverse.