Older forests on public lands in the Western U.S. can help achieve the nation's climate and conservation goals — if they are protected in time.

Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Study identifies mature forests most in need of protection
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Fall colors in the Ochoco National Forest, U.S. Forest Service ([link removed])

A new study ([link removed]) published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change has mapped and analyzed the untapped conservation potential of America's old-growth forests. The study found ([link removed]) that over one-third of forests in the Lower 48 are 80 years old or older. About one-third of these older forests, covering about 58 million acres, are on national public lands, presenting a clear opportunity to ensure these unique resources are protected at the highest possible level.

Only about 24 percent of forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management are currently protected, with the remainder open to potential logging. Older forests, if left undisturbed, are especially good at sequestering carbon; the study found ([link removed]) that old-growth forests store anywhere from 35 to 70 percent more carbon when compared to more recent single-species stands planted by the timber industry. "Protecting older forests from logging on federal lands is critical to President Biden’s plans to reduce emissions by 2030," said Dominick DellaSala ([link removed]) , the lead author of the study. “By avoiding emissions from logging, carbon is retained in the forest and not sent into the atmosphere, which would increase global warming and climate impacts.”

The findings of this study suggest that preserving old-growth forests is one of the easiest strategies available to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change. Older forests on national public lands in the Western U.S. can play a key role in achieving the nation's climate and conservation goals — if they are protected in time.


** Interior Department to expand Sand Creek Massacre Historical Site
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Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced during a ceremony that the Sand Creek Massacre Historical Site in Colorado will nearly double in size following a land acquisition made possible by ([link removed]) the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Great Outdoors Colorado. Established in 2007 and managed by the National Park Service, Sand Creek was the site of the 1864 killing of an estimated 230 members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes by U.S. soldiers.
Quick hits


** Interior Department announces Sand Creek expansion
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Native News Online ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed])


** Report: The West is losing 1.3 million acres of sagebrush steppe each year
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High Country News ([link removed])


** California proposes to cut its Colorado River water use by one-tenth
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Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Fight over strategy intensifies as wildfire funding grows
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Roll Call ([link removed])


** Education, environment advocates in New Mexico warn of instability of oil and gas revenue
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Source New Mexico ([link removed])


** Snow loss is fueling the West's megadrought
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Grist ([link removed])


** Cobalt mine opening in Salmon-Challis National Forest
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KTVB ([link removed])


** Mountain lions are eating California wild donkeys. Scientists say this is a good thing
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Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Stories like the Sand Creek Massacre are not easy to tell but it is my duty – our duty – to ensure that they are told. This story is part of America’s story.”
—Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Interior Department ([link removed]) press release ([link removed])
Picture this


** @u.s.forestservice ([link removed])
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Access to high-quality water will be a defining issue in the 21st century. A new @FSresearch ([link removed]) report describes how extensively public drinking water systems rely on national forests and grasslands. Maintaining the health and extent of current forests will be key to providing consistent water supplies in the future. [link removed] ([link removed])

📷 Feather River, Middle Fork, on Plumas National Forest in California. National Forests supply drinking water to almost 90% of the people served by public surface water systems in the West. (Forest Service photo by Tim Palmer)

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