Biden Administration Withdraws Nationwide Old-Growth Forest Protection Plan

The Forest Service will rely on local-level management after shelving a federal initiative to safeguard ancient forests from logging and climate threats.

• The Biden administration has abandoned a proposed federal policy to protect old-growth forests, citing the need for localized management approaches.
• The plan, initiated under a 2022 executive order, aimed to restrict logging in old-growth forests while addressing climate resilience across 193 million acres of federal land.
• Environmental advocates criticized the Forest Service for delays and loopholes in the proposal, while timber industry representatives and Republican lawmakers opposed it as overly restrictive.
• The decision to halt the plan was influenced by concerns that a Republican-controlled Congress or incoming Trump administration could permanently block similar future regulations under the Congressional Review Act.
• Old-growth forests, which store significant amounts of carbon, will now be managed on a case-by-case basis, leaving conservation efforts to local authorities and ongoing environmental advocacy.

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