Forest Congress Confirms Strong Support for Old-Growth Protection

A major national gathering of forestry professionals, conservationists, researchers, and Tribal Nations, has overwhelmingly voted to recognize the importance of America’s National Forests and recommend policies to adequately invest in protecting these forests, including old-growth trees.

The 9th American Forest Congress concluded in Washington, D.C. on Friday by passing resolutions in support of recruiting and protecting old growth trees, stewarding forests as a natural climate solution, improving federal forest management, and promoting policies to advance the use of beneficial fire in forest restoration.

In response, Anna Medema, Sierra Club’s Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy for Forests and Public Lands, released the following statement:

“The threats facing our national forests have never been greater, but support for those forests has never been stronger. At a time when some in power are working to sell our public lands and open up tens of millions of acres of untouched forests to industrial development, we must work harder than ever to protect them. These resolutions show that protecting our national forests is not a niche issue – it unites us across politics and geography. This Forest Congress has made it clear: experts across the forestry sector agree that federal forest lands are essential and we must continue to steward them for generations to come, not sell them off to the highest bidder.”