Environmental groups have turned in more than 122,000 public comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Interior Department urging the agencies to protect mature and old-growth forests on public lands from logging.
In a press release Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity says the comments are in response to President Biden’s executive order to protect and inventory old-growth trees on national forest and other federally managed lands.
In addition to the public comments, the Center also turned in a letter signed by more than 100 climate and conservation organizations calling for lasting administrative rulings to protect essential climate-related solutions.
The groups want federal initiatives designating stands and trees older than 80 years off limits to logging. By that age, researchers say trees have accumulated decades of stored carbon and provide significant biodiversity benefits.