Old Growth Forests
Old Growth Forests
Forest conservation is one of the Sierra Club’s oldest legacy campaigns, dating back to early efforts to protect California’s sequoias in the 1890's. We have succeeded in protecting forests across the country for more than a hundred years by delivering grassroots power and influencing our targets.
Coastal Redwoods
Why are old-growth forests important?
Forests absorb and store carbon -- in soils, organic matter, and living and dead trees -- better than any other ecosystem. Generally, older trees absorb more carbon each year than their younger counterparts, making old forests one of our most valuable tools for taking on climate change. On top of that, forests also provide habitat for wildlife, support reliable drinking watersheds for nearly half of all Americans, preserve cultural legacies and traditional uses, and offer recreation opportunities.
It has never been more apparent that forests are one of our most important natural resources to offset these crises. Preserving intact forest ecosystems and allowing them to continue absorbing and storing carbon is critical in the fight against climate change.
National Forests are the largest source of drinking water in the United States. Forests provide clean drinking water to more than 150 million Americans, helping communities confront climate impacts like drought, heatwaves, and changing rainfall patterns.
25%
112M
acres of old-growth forest in the US
Forests play a crucial role in addressing climate change
Forests play a crucial role in addressing climate change by acting as one of the most powerful carbon sinks on the planet. They absorb roughly 25% of the carbon dioxide that human activities release into the atmosphere each year. In the United States alone, 112 million acres of old-growth and mature forests, managed by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service, provide an invaluable resource for long-term carbon storage. These forests not only help slow climate change but also offer countless benefits, including clean air, water, and habitat for wildlife.
Victory!
Executive order launches process for protecting mature and old-growth forests on federal lands
After years of grassroots advocacy to protect old-growth and mature forests, President Biden issued an executive order to start the process of creating federal safeguards. Thanks to this executive order, the U.S. Forest Service is now working on a draft policy that would amend every single land management plan in the National Forest System. If this policy is done well, it could be one of the most significant forest policies in decades, providing long overdue protections for our oldest forests – but the amendment still needs significant improvements before we reach that milestone.
What We Are Doing
Over the past few years, we have seen some incredible victories for forest conservation: we secured a Northwest Forest Plan Amendment to protect millions of acres of old-growth and mature forests in western Washington, Oregon, and part of California; activist pressure ended 50-year timber contracts in Alaska's Tongass National Forest; we saw members of Congress advance legislative protections for some of the most treasured parts of their districts; and we passed the National Roadless Area Conservation Rule, preserving 54 million acres of roadless National Forest.
These designations are lasting legacies for the people who fought to achieve them -- from the general public who provided comments and insight, to the presidents who signed them into existence.
What You Can Do
Tell the US Forest Service to Protect Old-Growth Forests!
In 2022, the Biden administration began to chart a course to conserve mature and old-growth forests. Now, the U.S. Forest Service is taking comments on the proposed National Old-Growth Amendment that could protect old-growth forests from logging. This is an important step, but it can and must be stronger.
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