Daines Calls Forest Service Withdrawal of Old Growth Amendment “Victory for Commonsense, Local Management of our Forests”

• January 7, 2025

U.S. Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement today after the U.S. Forest Service announced it is withdrawing the National Old Growth Amendment draft environmental impact statement:

"Montanans are sick of breathing in smoke and the Forest Service heard their concerns loud and clear. Today is a victory for commonsense local management of our forests. Now the folks on the ground can get back to managing our forests rather than bowing to the green lobby and getting bogged down in needless paperwork. Montana's old growth forests are already protected by each individual Forest Plan, so this proposal would have simply delayed work to protect them from wildfire which is the number one threat facing our old growth forests."

Background:

This proposal would have added an unnecessary additional layer of prescriptive guidelines on local forests that would have halted much needed forest management work and increased the risk of wildfires. Senator Daines has highlighted issues with this proposal since it was announced. More on his work to push back against this proposal can be found HERE and HERE.