WASHINGTON – Tens of thousands of people and more than 170 organizations called on the U.S. Forest Service to strengthen its proposal to conserve old growth trees and forests on federal land. During a public comment period that closed on Friday, people asked for stronger provisions that eliminate commercial logging of old-growth trees and tighten other exceptions to ensure these trees stay in the forest. The comment period opened in December when the Forest Service proposed the first nationwide amendment to improve safeguards for old-growth forests. The proposal came in response to more than 500,000 comments submitted last summer urging swift and durable action to protect mature and old-growth forests.

The draft proposal sets ambitious goals for managing and expanding old growth in national forests, but contains major gaps that will hinder achievement of these goals. Notably, the proposal would still let old growth get sent to the mill. And it carves out the Tongass National Forest—Read More