Sierra Club Statement on National Old Growth Plan

Today, the United States Forest Service announced a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on a plan to protect the country’s remaining old-growth trees.

The proposed amendment to all national forest plans would be a significant advance towards fulfilling Executive Order 14072, which President Biden issued in March 2022, committing the United States to “identify, inventory, and protect” mature and old-growth forests on federal lands.

Only a small fraction of old-growth forests in the U.S. remain standing. In the Pacific Northwest, barely one-quarter of old-growth conifers remain, and in parts of the East that number is even less. Recent studies have confirmed the unparalleled ability of mature and old-growth trees to absorb and store carbon pollution, which generally increases as they age, making these forests one of our best nature-based climate solutions.

The release of the DEIS kicks off a 90-day comment period, during which the public is encouraged to provide input on the draft plan.

In response, Sierra Club Forest Campaign Manager Alex Craven released the following statement:

“President Biden made a commitment to protect mature and old-growth forests in the United States, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to achieving that. Conserving what remains of our oldest forests is undoubtedly a positive step towards climate action. We look forward to engaging in this process to ensure the amendment not only retains, but increases, the amount of old-growth forests across the country. Shifting our approach to national forests from resources meant for extraction to natural wonders worth preserving is long overdue.”