On Earth Day this year, the Biden administration released an inventory of old-growth and mature forests on federally managed lands to access reforestation opportunities and forest resilience to climate change, it said.
The inventory resulted from an executive order issued by President Joe Biden, requiring the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to complete a survey and analyze the threats to old-growth and mature forests. It requires the agencies to develop a plan for reforestation efforts through federal programs and partnerships with key stakeholders.
The results from the first inventory of lands managed by the USFS and BLM show the agencies manage over 32 million acres of old-growth and around 80 million acres of mature forest across 200 types of forests. The inventory found that old-growth forest represents 18% and mature forests 45% of the more than 178 million acres the agencies manage.
Of the 178 million acres, pinyon and juniper woodlands are the largest forest type in the federally managed inventory of mature and old-growth forests, comprising over 9 million acres of old-growth and 14 million acres of mature woodland. According to the agencies, old-growth pinyon-juniper woodlands are defined as 150-250 years old, with some juniper exceeding the age of 1,500 years, and pinyon species over 900 years.
“BLM actively manages pinyon and juniper to improve rangeland conditions and habitat for sagebrush dependent species such as greater sage-grouse,” the news release stated. “Natural fire regimes in some pinyon and juniper woodlands have been disrupted, leading to increasingly dense forests that can be at risk of catastrophic fire.”
The U.S. Geological Survey stated that pinyon-juniper woodlands have encroached into the sagebrush steppe and research has demonstrated that greater sage-grouse avoid habitats dominated by pinyon and juniper.
The Public Lands Council (PLC) wrote in its Weekend Roundup newsletter they have concerns about the focus on the inventory’s discussion on restoration and preservation in pinyon-juniper woodlands.
“Any restriction or repeal of the currently active, commonsense pinyon-juniper management in the name of forest conservation would be a massive mistake for Western lands,” PLC said.
PLC acknowledged that forests are sources of carbon storage no matter the age of the trees but said the Biden administration’s focus on old-growth and mature forests “is cherry-picked science” that “neglects active management in the backcountry.”
Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist for the advocacy group Wild Heritage, told Inside Climate News the federal government was able to account for more of the pinyon-juniper woodland than his team was able to do in its survey conducted using satellite imagery.
“They did a solid scientific analysis with their inventory,” DellaSala said. “But what matters most is the need to protect these forests from logging. We need the president to direct the agencies that what comes next is full protection for these forests as natural climate solutions.”
DellaSala continued he is worried USFS will use the threat of wildfires and insect damage as an excuse to log older trees and contends older trees are fire resistant and resilient.
PLC stated a preservation approach would lead to more frequent and intense wildfires, resulting in the release of a large amount of carbon. PLC continued it seems evident the continued use of prescribed fires, grazing on federal lands, and other active forest management policies are not a priority.
“Our forest ecosystems and communities are struggling to keep up with the stresses of climate change, whether it’s fire, drought, or insect infestations, it is clear that we must adapt quickly,” said USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment Homer Wilkes.
Once the inventory was completed, the executive order stated the agencies were to develop strategies “to institutionalize climate-informed management and conservation strategies that address threats to mature and old-growth forests on federal lands.”
An advance notice of proposed rule-making was published in the Federal Register for National Forest and Grassland Climate Resilience, opening a 60-day comment period. To view the document or to comment, visit www.regulations.gov and search for document NO. 2023-08429. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
