The Biden administration has decided to abandon its proposed plan to safeguard old-growth forests following opposition from Republicans and the timber industry. The U.S. Forest Service Chief announced the abrupt halt in a letter to forest supervisors, marking the end of a lengthy process aimed at enhancing the protection of old trees vulnerable to climate change.
The initiative, initiated by President Joe Biden through an executive order in April 2022, sought to limit logging in old-growth forests while allowing exceptions in certain areas to prevent wildfires. However, the timber industry and Republican lawmakers strongly opposed the plan, arguing that existing forest protections were sufficient and that the proposal could harm logging companies reliant on public lands for timber access.
