https://wapo.st/3NyDEEC
The Forest Service plans to protect the nearly 25 million acres it manages where towering trees still stand, the first national plan to protect old-growth forests from commercial logging
This is a step which should have been taken decades ago, and is a piece of ending deforestation.
Good. Where I live (upper midwest) we had tons of old growth timber that was completely exhausted in the 1800s. All of our forests now are incredibly young with no chance to mature as they're basically all tree farms now. We need to protect what little old growth forests we have left
While this is a good and necessary step, most old growth forests are already gone because they were not protected. Mature trees and forests that are less than 150 years old also need protection if we are to ever reverse the destruction and begin restoration, and expand protected areas. https://www.salon.com/2023/12/20/underwhelming-biden-admin-tosses-token-protection-to-old-growth-forests/