AFRC Comments Raise Concerns Over National Old-Growth Amendment and U.S. Forest Service’s Ability to Reduce Wildfire Risks

On Friday, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) will formally submit comments to the Forest Service highlighting how the proposed National Old-Growth Amendment undermines the agency's ability to address the primary threats to old-growth forests including severe wildfires that have already devastated nearly 700,000 acres of old-growth forests on federal lands over the past two decades.

AFRC says the nationwide proposal to simultaneously amend 128 Forest Plans will add more regulatory burdens to the federal government's broken system of land management, where it often takes years for agencies to develop and implement projects that reduce severe fire risks.

"Protecting old-growth forests from catastrophic wildfires, disease, and insect infestations requires strategic, intentional, active stewardship. Instead of identifying and removing roadblocks to accelerate the pace and scale of forest restoration on millions of acres of at-risk lands, the Forest Service is doubling down on its current, failing management paradigm by adding layers of process, bureaucracy, and conflict," said AFRC President Travis Joseph. "Ironically, this amendment seeking to protect old-growth forests will likely undermine the agency's ability to take timely action to save them from burning up in massive wildfires as has been the case for the last 20 years."

AFRC's comments on the amendment's draft Environmental Impact Statement point to a disconnect between the amendment's stated goals and the practical needs on the ground.

A threat assessment developed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management highlighted that over 70 percent of mature and old-growth forests are at high risk of wildfire-caused mortality. This is compounded by the fact that forests in areas reserved from active management, such as wilderness areas, have seen greater losses of old-growth than forests where limited timber harvest is allowed. In contrast, old-growth forests have increased on Forest Service lands where active management, including timber harvest, is allowed and encouraged.

AFRC's comments suggest that instead of adding more red tape, the Forest Service work to identify and remove existing barriers that prevent active forest management, delay on-the-ground action, and ultimately enable anti-forestry litigation. A better use of the Forest Service's limited resources and personnel should focus on implementing the agency's own Wildfire Crisis Strategy that aims to accelerate and expand proactive and science-based forest health treatments, protect communities, and reduce harmful smoke and carbon emissions.

AFRC's comments also point out the duplication of policies in regions like the Pacific Northwest, where existing plans such as the Northwest Forest Plan already provide strong protections for old-growth forests and where nearly 80 percent of federal forests are off limits to logging and active management.

"It's disappointing that 30 years after the Timber Wars and the Northwest Forest Plan, some activist groups supporting this process want to live in the past by continuing to stir up conflict and controversy. We've moved on. If you care about old-growth forests, it's all about addressing the wildfire risk. This amendment makes achieving that goal more difficult." said Joseph.