Why We Must Manage Old Growth Forests for the Future

We all know the intangible benefits that old growth forests provide: they inspire artists, poets, writers, and photographers- and are places for solace, reflection, spirituality, and healing. But older forests also supply numerous tangible benefits, such as clean drinking water for millions of people, habitat for more than 3,000 species of wildlife and plants, and the ability to absorb carbon, which helps address the climate crisis. The extensive root systems of older forests help to filter rain, prevent erosion, and reduce the risk of flooding in watersheds across the country. And forests help to boost rural economies by supporting recreation activities such as hiking, camping, bird watching, hunting, and fishing.

Pacific Fisher. Photo credit: Ken Canning

But our older forests are in trouble. They are threatened by drought, insects, disease, megafires, and other impacts from climate change. That's why the U.S. Forest Service issued a plan to change the way that all 193 million acres of its forest land is managed. The goal is to develop ecologically appropriate management strategies to promote healthy and climate-resilient forests. The plan prohibits cutting old growth for purely economic reasons, but would still allow interventions to improve forest health. It encourages adaptive management practices that give flexibility as conditions change on the ground. This plan promotes community-led collaboration to develop place-based stewardship because a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. And it mandates active monitoring, so that land managers know what is and is not working.

Old growth forest canopy - Mt Hood National Forest

To succeed, the plan must include the best available science combined with place-based Indigenous Knowledge accumulated over centuries. A recent report from Indigenous practitioners, the Forest Service, and researchers from Oregon State University and the University of Washington demonstrated just how important that pairing is to maintain and enhance old growth forests.

In addition to braiding Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge, the plan must clear the way for Tribal co-stewardship and partnership, from planning to decision making to forest management. The Forest Service must expand the use of tools such as cultural burning and prescribed fire, and increase funding for innovative and collaborative approaches to forest management.

Although the work is not yet finished, we applaud the Forest Service for its proactive plan to conserve old growth forests and ensure they are managed so they can survive and thrive in our changing climate. Our wildlife, our water supplies, outdoor recreationists, and rural communities are counting on healthy, resilient forests for generations to come.

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