August 30, 2022: The Federal Forest Resource Coalition filed comments on the “Request for Information” on Old-Growth and Mature Forests on August 29th. FFRC Executive Director Bill Imbergamo issued the following statement:
“FFRC is gravely concerned that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are being forced to conduct an ill-advised effort to define “old- growth” and “mature” forests so that the White House can score points with anti-management groups who oppose all timber harvest on the National Forests.”
“Much like the 2001 Roadless Rule did, this new effort is a barely disguised ploy to find even more acres of Federal forests and place them off limits to management. Coming up with one nation-wide definition for this complex topic will not help Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management do a better job in executing their forest plans, will make it harder to create wildlife habitat, and will impede current efforts to reduce the hazardous fuels which have been driving the wildfire crisis on our Western forests.”
“About 120 Million Acres of National Forests are in restricted land uses – where very little or no forest management takes place. National Monuments, Wild & Scenic River Corridors, Designated Wilderness Areas, and Inventoried Roadless Areas make up 60 percent of the National Forest System. When restricted areas on other Federal ownerships are counted, some 300 million acres of Federal land is off limits to timber harvest.”
“More than 37 million acres of National Forests have burned since the 2001 Roadless Rule was adopted. That’s an area seven times larger than the number of acres where timber harvest of any kind has taken place. Every State where National Forests make up the majority of the timberland is a net carbon source, because of poor forest health and large fires on the National Forests. Adding to the stock of unmanaged lands will do nothing to improve this situation.”
“Americans are rightly proud of the conservation legacy we’ve created, including the National Forests, National Parks, and National Wildlife Refuges, not to mention millions of additional acres preserved in State Parks, State Wildlife Areas, and still more private land under conservation easements. But it’s time to grow up and realize we must actively manage the remainder of our National Forests before it’s too late. The current effort to define and inventory old forests does nothing to help with this important work.”
For more information, contact Bill Imbergamo, Executive Director, at 703- 629-6877 or [email protected]
About the FFRC: FFRC is a national coalition of wood products companies, local governments, conservation groups united by concern for the National Forests. FFRC supports improving the management of the federal lands to support healthy forests and vibrant rural communities.
Federal Forest Resource Coalition
1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 303 Washington, DC 20006
For more information, contact Bill Imbergamo, Executive Director, at 703-629-6877 or [email protected]
About the FFRC: FFRC is a national coalition of wood products companies, local governments, conservation groups united by concern for the National Forests. FFRC supports improving the management of the federal lands to support healthy forests and vibrant rural communities.
Federal Forest Resource Coalition
1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 303
Washington, DC 20006