砍伐成熟和老树威胁着美国的经济.S. 气候目标

WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday signed a memorandum to clarify the U.S. 林业局的气候政策方向. 备忘录，"Climate Resilience and Carbon Stewardship of America’s National 森林 and Grasslands，在白宫最近的一份声明中 行政命令 highlighting the importance of conserving mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as a climate solution. 备忘录中写道actions to restore forests, improve resilience, and address the climate crisis”, falls short in meeting the ambition outlined in President Joe Biden’s order on old forests and trees. Secretary Vilsack acknowledges the role that older trees play in absorbing and storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. But he fails to outline a plan for his agency to protect mature and old-growth forests and trees 从 commercial logging. 

环保组织 对拜登总统4月份的声明表示乐观 expressed concern about the Department of Agriculture’s analysis of the threats facing older forests. 组 传阅一封信 Thursday calling for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to issue a rule that protects mature and old-growth forests on federal lands 从 logging.

“While we’re pleased that the Forest Service continues to affirm the crucial importance of protecting forests as a climate solution, 他们需要言行一致. 现在, logging projects that will cut down old-growth and mature trees are still slated on many federal lands, and the Forest Service — along 与 the Bureau of Land Management — must take immediate action to protect these forests, 并通过规则建立持久的保护,” 布莱恩Miller-McFeeley 从 地球. 

备忘录的重点是“干旱”, 森林大火, 类型转换, 昆虫爆发是对老树木的主要威胁, and downplays the threat 从 timber harvesting to mature and old-growth forests and trees on federal land.

Yet, the Forest Service routinely targets old forests for logging across the National Forest System. 本周 批准砍伐数千英亩土地 在蒙大拿州西北部的库特奈国家森林里, 包括砍伐成熟和古老的树木. 在大峡谷北部的凯巴布国家森林里 林务局正在伐木 几千年的历史, 耐火黄松, 尽管该项目的目的是专注于较小的树木. 

“Chainsaws and logging are a problem for forests in the United 州 just as they are in developing countries like Brazil,” 史蒂夫Pedery 与 俄勒冈州野生. “在一些地区，气候驱动的森林火灾是一种威胁, but that threat is only made worse when the Forest Service fails to protect carbon-rich mature and old-growth forests 从 logging.”

森林——尤其是古老的森林——储存着大量的碳, 并在老化过程中继续吸收碳. Logging older trees releases most of that carbon back into the atmosphere. 即使在最好的情况下, newly planted forests would not reabsorb this carbon for decades or centuries – timescales irrelevant to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. 

“he Secretary’s memo ignores that across the West logging of federal forests causes far more greenhouse gas emissions than wildfire,” 尼尔劳伦斯，高级律师 自然资源保护委员会. “The agency needs to stop allowing these big, old trees to be logged—and it needs to stop fast. 这些树不会引起火灾. 它们确实储存了大量的碳. 在联邦森林中，年老和成熟的树木吸收了大部分的碳, 对鱼类和野生动物至关重要.”

老树和森林自然更耐火. They help limit the impacts of climate change by slowing soil erosion and moderating temperatures. Logging and removing trees 从 the forest undermines most of the benefits of carbon storage and wood products store 只有一小部分的碳 储存在森林里.

“The best way to protect these carbon-storing giants is to leave them standing. Yet, the Forest Service logs mature and old growth trees all the time,” 斯皮瓦克兰迪公共土地主任 生物多样性研究中心.” These old and mature federal forests are a key part of addressing the climate emergency, 他们还保护野生动物和干净的水. 令人难以置信的是，林务局竟然不明白这一点.” 

“When President Biden delivered an 行政命令 to protect mature and old growth trees as a preeminent tool in addressing the climate crisis, 他向美国国防部提议. 农业部和美国农业部. of Interior the historic opportunity to help tackle the intersecting climate and biodiversity crises that affect us all,” 亚历克斯·克雷文 从 塞拉俱乐部. “不幸的是, the plans outlined by USDA fall short of meaningful progress for our climate and the President’s directive to protect mature and old growth trees.”

Carbon-absorbing older forests are also the best habitat for many species of wildlife, 包括斑点猫头鹰, 红冠啄木鸟和松貂. A 2019年的报告 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) found that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history – and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating at an alarming rate. Protecting essential habitat is a critical part of halting and reversing this decline. 

“Trees are the climate solution we don’t have to invent, but rather protect. Now that the Forest Service has recognized how important big trees are to our climate, it’s time for them to act by ending all logging of old-growth and mature trees,” 艾伦·蒙哥马利公共土地运动主任 美国环境. “Protecting these trees is also critical to saving species threatened 与 extinction. If we want to ensure the survival of forest-dwelling wildlife and a liveable future for our grandchildren, 然后，我们必须确保我们祖父母的树仍然屹立不倒.”

The last comprehensive federal policy to protect national forests, the 没有路的规则该法案于2001年在前总统比尔·克林顿(Bill Clinton)任内颁布. The rule was adopted to protect nearly 60 million acres of designated “roadless areas” 从 logging and road-building, 保护重要的剩余老树. 无路地区是一个重要的碳汇, 但联邦土地上的许多老树都在这些地区之外. Scientists and environmental groups say it’s time to get all public forests into the climate fight.

联系 

艾伦·蒙哥马利，美国环境组织， (电子邮件保护), 720-583-4024

布莱恩·米勒-麦克菲利，地球正义， (电子邮件保护), 202-745-5225 

安妮·霍克，自然资源保护委员会， (电子邮件保护), 646-823-4518

兰迪·斯皮瓦克，生物多样性研究中心， (电子邮件保护), 310-779-4894

Medhini Kumar, Sierra Club， (电子邮件保护) 

史蒂夫Pedery(他/他)，俄勒冈州野生， (电子邮件保护), 503-998-8411 

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生物多样性研究中心, 地球, 美国环境, 自然资源保护委员会, 俄勒冈州野生, 和塞拉俱乐部都是 气候森林运动, a coalition of more than 100 organizations working to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests 从 logging across America’s public lands as a cornerstone of U.S. 气候政策.