Conservation advocates are urging support for a federal plan to protect old growth trees in national forests including across thousands of acres in Maine.
The proposal from the U.S. National Forest Service would curb logging of old trees lays out a process to encourage mature forests to become old growth over time.
Matt Cannon, conservation and energy director for the Sierra Club’s Maine chapter said protecting the few old trees that remain is critical to meeting the state’s climate change goals.
The group wants its members to support the federal plan and make sure it extends the most protections possible by commenting on the rule before a September deadline.
About 46,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest is in Maine according to the Sierra Club.
"The whole point is we need more mature and old growth forests, they are our biggest source of carbon sequestration, they are a huge source of biodiversity, they protect clean water in our watersheds and provide recreation and resiliency to climate change," Cannon said.
But opponents claim the plan will make it harder to manage forests and prevent devastating fires like those that have ravaged parts of the west in recent years. Insects, disease and fires destroy far more old growth forest than logging does, according to opponents.
The Federal Forest Resource Coalition, an assembly of forest products industry companies and trade groups said in a June statement it was disappointed the Biden administration was still pushing a flawed plan.
"Rather than waste limited staff time and resources re-writing Forest Plans and developing old growth management approaches, the Forest Service ought to use the authorities and funding Congress has provided to focus on reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires and insect outbreaks on our public lands before it’s too late,” coalition executive director Bill Imbergamo said.
