MATSUI, HUFFMAN, SARBANES LEAD EFFORT TO PROTECT OLD GROWTH FORESTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Reps. Jared Huffman (CA-02) and John Sarbanes (MD-03) led a group of 28 lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretaries Tom Vilsack and Deb Haaland, urging the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) to undertake a formal rulemaking to protect mature and old-growth forests.

“Mature and old-growth trees play an outsized role in carbon sequestration and storage and provide a host of related benefits, including water quality, recreation, and overall ecosystem integrity,” wrote the lawmakers. 

In April 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14072, recognizing mature and old-growth forests as vital to the health, prosperity, and resilience of communities across the nation. Mature and old-growth trees absorb and store more greenhouse gases than younger trees and are home to greater biodiversity, making them essential to our climate and conservation goals.

In light of this, Executive Order 14072 directed USDA and DOI to define, identify, and complete an inventory of mature and old-growth forests on federal lands by April 22, 2023. However, the Executive Order did not direct USDA and DOI to initiate a formal rulemaking to provide durable protections. 

“We strongly urge you to initiate a formal rulemaking to ensure these crucial actions are not easily overturned in the future.” the lawmakers continued. “And while your agencies work to implement E.O. 14072 and finalize the rulemaking process, we ask that you issue interim guidance as soon as possible to protect against the further loss of existing mature and old-growth forests. These actions are key to accomplishing the Administration’s commitments to protecting our climate and biodiversity and to position the U.S. as an international leader in nature-based solutions.”

The letter has the support of environmental leaders and stakeholders:

“Ecologically intact older forests have a myriad of benefits, with one being increased resilience to climate stressors like wildfire and drought,” said Josh Hicks, Senior Campaign Manager, National Forests Campaign, The Wilderness Society. “Therefore, a policy that retains, restores, and recruits increased old-growth forests is one of the best ways to fight against the increased, uncharacteristic wildfires we’ve seen over the past several years. We are so appreciative of Representatives Matsui, Huffman, and Sarbanes for elevating this important issue.”

“From coast to coast, a diverse coalition of stakeholders is calling on the federal government to protect mature and old growths forests from the myriad threats they face, including wildfires, climate change, and reckless logging,” said Blaine Miller-McFeeley, Senior Legislative Representative, Earthjustice. “Protecting and restoring these ecosystems is one of the best nature-based solutions we have for fighting climate change and should be a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy. We thank Reps. Matsui, Huffman, Sarbanes, and dozens of other Congressional members whose districts include forests across the country for recognizing this important issue and leading efforts to urge the federal government to protect our climate forests.” 

Congresswoman Matsui has long been a champion of bold, forward-thinking climate policies and serves as co-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). She also co-chairs the SEEC Nature and Oceans Task Force, which spearheads policy actions centered around natural climate solutions. 

A copy of the letter can be found below and HERE.

Dear Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Haaland,

Thank you for your leadership in managing America’s national forests and public lands for the benefit of our climate, watersheds, wildlife, and communities. As you work to implement Executive Order 14072, we respectfully request that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) formalize regulations that protect mature and old-growth stands and trees, with the goal of returning old-growth to historic levels throughout federal lands. Furthermore, as USDA and DOI work to define, identify, and inventory mature and old-growth forests, we ask that you issue interim guidance as soon as possible to protect against the further loss of existing mature and old-growth forests.

One of the simplest and most cost-effective approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation is to ensure that federal forests are protected and managed in a way that increases the overall acreage of mature and old-growth forests. Mature and old-growth trees play an outsized role in carbon sequestration and storage and provide a host of related benefits, including water quality, recreation, and overall ecosystem integrity. However, mature and old-growth trees on federal lands face a myriad of growing threats, including uncharacteristic wildfires, climate change and, in some cases, portions of projects where there is ecologically inappropriate logging of mature and old-growth trees.

President Biden’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14072, Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies, recognizes the critical services provided by mature and old-growth forests and directs USDA and DOI to define, identify, and complete an inventory of mature and old-growth forests on federal lands by April 22, 2023. Following the completion of this inventory, E.O. 14072 directs USDA and DOI to analyze threats to mature and old-growth forests and develop policies to institutionalize climate-smart management and conservation strategies that address these threats.

We recognize that your agencies are working hard to implement E.O. 14072 and meet the April 22 deadline, and these efforts to define, identify, and inventory mature and old-growth forests will undoubtedly provide useful data for years to come. In the meantime, however, we should also take immediate action to protect existing mature and old-growth forests from further loss.

We strongly urge you to initiate a formal rulemaking to ensure these crucial actions are not easily overturned in the future. While the rulemaking process is underway, we again urge you to issue interim guidance to protect against further loss of these forests and trees and the critical services they provide.

Protecting mature and old-growth forests and returning old-growth forests to pre-industrial levels are essential to protect our climate, safeguard biodiversity, maintain our water supply, and provide the kind of recreation opportunities that have long been central to the American experience. In order to achieve the aims of E.O. 14072, we respectfully urge USDA and DOI to formalize regulations that protect mature and old-growth stands and trees, with the goal of returning old-growth to historic levels throughout federal lands. And while your agencies work to implement E.O. 14072 and finalize the rulemaking process, we ask that you issue interim guidance as soon as possible to protect against the further loss of existing mature and old-growth forests. These actions are key to accomplishing the Administration’s commitments to protecting our climate and biodiversity and to position the U.S. as an international leader in nature-based solutions.

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