Standing strong for our federal forests

A special message from President and CEO Dr. R. Max Holmes

Understanding and protecting forests has been at the heart of Woodwell Climate’s work from the beginning—from the lush tropical rainforests of the Amazon and Congo, to the vast boreal forests spanning Alaska, Canada, and Russia, to the diverse temperate forests found all across the U.S.

Over the past several years, we have been active in pushing for greater protection of our federal forests. We have published policy-relevant scientific findings, provided public comment on proposed rules, penned and signed open letters with scientific colleagues, and spoken to journalists and legislators.

And we have made strides—the restoration of protection against logging and road-building to more than 9 million acres of Tongass National Forest, and the release of the first-ever inventory of more than 112 million acres of mature and old-growth forest on U.S. federal lands.

But logging has remained the number one threat to these forests. Now, the Trump administration has set a goal of increasing timber production—logging—in federal forests.

This is a giant step in the wrong direction.

Our federal forests are critically important climate solutions. They absorb the equivalent of 3% of U.S. emissions from fossil fuel burning each year, and the largest trees are responsible for the majority of carbon uptake and storage. As forests mature, they also accumulate even more carbon in soils.

Of course, the benefits of mature and old-growth forests go far beyond carbon. They support clean water, healthy soils, and a diversity of wildlife. They are more resistant to the impacts of wildfire and pests, which are increasing challenges in a warming world.

The fight to protect our federal mature and old-growth forests has been going on for years, and it’s far from over.

The coming months will bring new proposed rules and plans aimed at increasing logging on federal lands. At every step, we will be ready to ensure the best available science has a voice in the conversation.

We will stand strong for our forests and our collective future. We thank you for standing with us.

Onward,