Biden administration withdraws old growth forest plan after getting pushback from industry and GOP
The Biden administration is dropping its plan to conserve old growth forests after getting pushback from Republicans and the timber industry
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Your support makes all the difference.The Biden administration on Tuesday abruptly dropped its nascent plan to protect old growth forests after getting pushback from Republicans and the timber industry.
The move was announced by U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore in a letter to forest supervisors.
It brings a sudden end to a yearslong process to craft a nationwide plan that would better protect old trees that are increasingly threatened by climate change. The effort had been supported by some conservationists as one of the most significant forest preservation efforts in decades.
President Joe Biden launched the initiative with an executive order on Earth Day in 2022. The proposal had been through extensive public comment periods and internal analyses by government officials. It was due to be finalized any day.
But the timber industry and their allies in Congress bitterly opposed the administration's proposal. They said it wasn't needed since many forested areas already are protected. And they warned it could be devastating to logging companies that rely on access to cheap timber on public lands.