Friend,

As the summer heat ramps up, some of America's greatest refuges are our national forests.

Older trees in national forests, such as the Tongass in Alaska and the Pisgah in North Carolina, provide a haven that can be up to 45 degrees cooler than young, harvested forests.1

And these forests do more than just provide shade for visitors and the wildlife that inhabit them -- they're carbon sinks that help keep the temperature of the planet in check.2

Environment Colorado is committed to protecting these precious areas from logging, mining and development. We depend on grassroots donations from people like you -- and we need your help to keep our work going strong.

Will you donate to Environment Colorado's 2022 Fiscal Year-End Drive and help us meet our $50,000 goal?

Seventy percent of all the carbon a tree stores is accumulated in the last half of its life, which is why older trees are better at absorbing carbon than younger ones.3

But protecting older trees isn't just about climate change. These forests help keep our water clean, regulating storm runoff and cleaning drinking water.4 And they provide habitats for wildlife such as the wolverines and grizzly bears that call the Tongass home.5

Old-growth trees in Tongass National Forest have been growing for centuries -- some of them are older than the United States itself. And those in Sequoia National Park have been around for thousands of years.

But it takes just minutes to cut them down -- whether it's to make way for mines or development.

Donate now and help protect our forests.

Since protections for the Tongass were lifted, our national network has rallied more than 12,000 forest defenders to call on the Biden administration to protect mature and old-growth forests. We're also working to strengthen the Roadless Rule and stop industry from devastating pristine forests.

However, Environment Colorado's work expands beyond forests. For years, we've been acting for a greener, healthier Colorado.

We've set a goal of raising $50,000 before June 30 to give us the resources we need to keep defending our environment. With the climate emergency, thousands of endangered species, a massive plastics problem and more, we need your help to rise to the challenge.

Will you donate to Environment Colorado today and help us meet our goal by June 30?

Thank you,

Rex Wilmouth
Senior Program Director

1. "Using Trees and Vegetation to Reduce Heat Islands," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed June 6, 2022.
2. "Inventory of U.S. Gas Emissions and Sinks," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed June 6, 2022.
3. Torah Kachur, "As trees age, their climate benefit grows," CBC, November 22, 2021.
4. "The Role of Trees and Forests in Healthy Watersheds," PennState Extension, August 17, 2015.
5. Ellen Montgomery, "Hope for the Tongass National Forest," Environment America, June 22, 2021.

Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. Environment Colorado may transfer up to $50 per dues-paying member per year into the Environment Colorado Small Donor Committee.