Should the United States increase timber production?

The federal government manages approximately 30 percent of all forests in the United States. These forest lands belong to Americans and are supposed to be managed in ways that benefit all Americans. 

If the United States were to increase timber production on federal forest lands, that would likely lead to cutting down more big, old trees than we currently allow. Bigger trees will produce the most lumber. Big trees are also older trees and once a mature or old-growth tree is chopped down, it will take longer than most human lifetimes to replace it. 

Our mature and old-growth trees and forests are worth more standing compared to the short-term benefit of selling them as pulp or boards.

Our forests provide clean air and water; sixty-six million people rely on a national forest as their water source.

They are places for fishing, hunting, hiking and camping,

They are habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife, 

They protect communities, helping to prevent floods and landslides, 

They cool our air and absorb and store carbon in their leaves, branches, trunks and soil.

Logging old-growth forests doesn’t stop fires. 

In addition to making profits, logging is also authorized under the auspices of wildfire prevention.

As trees grow wider and taller, their bark thickens, giving them a natural resistance to wildfires. Old-growth areas in the forest are often cooler, holding moisture that can moderate wildfires. 

Increasing logging and bulldozing roads creates conditions that increase fire risk. Timber companies often remove larger trees while leaving piles of flammable materials such as limbs, grasses, shrubs, leaves, and needles and limbs behind on the ground. Roads are associated with human-caused wildfires.

Our oldest trees should remain standing

Most of our remaining old-growth and future old-growth trees and forests are on federal land. Increasing timber production would harm these trees. It is simply not worth the tradeoff. These giants should remain standing.