By Joe Parmigiani, Alliance Intern at Dartmouth College ‘28
Just a few weeks ago, the Trump Administration issued an executive order opening 59% of US Forest Service lands to industrial logging and clear-cutting, according to the Washington Post. This move represents one of the largest rollbacks of forest protections in recent history, threatening to permanently alter landscapes that are critical to biodiversity, climate resilience and the well-being of local communities.
The executive order aggressively targets irreplaceable old-growth forests in an effort to ramp up timber sales, points out EarthJustice. These forests have taken centuries to grow and cannot be replaced in our lifetimes. Logging them will destroy vital habitats protected under the Endangered Species Act, release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and significantly increase the risk of catastrophic wildfires in already vulnerable regions.
The impacts go beyond the environment. Forest ecosystems will be harmed, the outdoor recreation economy will take a hit and nearby communities will become far more susceptible to long-term environmental degradation.
We must act now to stop this reckless plan. Join the Alliance in signing this EarthJustice petition and demand that the US Department of Agriculture respect and preserve our federal forests!