FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Federal Protection On The Way For Northwest Old Growth?

Senate Hearing Highlights Values of Protecting and Restoring Old Growth Forests

The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests heard testimony from expert scientists, conservationists and others on the benefits old-growth forests provide to the region and the country.

The nation’s biggest and oldest trees were the topic of a Senate hearing today as Congress begins to explore how to permanently protect the old-growth forests on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests heard testimony from expert scientists, conservationists and others on the benefits old-growth forests provide to the region and the country. Subcommittee chair, Ron Wyden (D-OR) has been gathering information to inform legislation aimed at moving federal forest policy toward a sustainable future.

“When we talk about old growth protection, we are talking about passing on our natural heritage to our children,” said Randi Spivak, American Lands Alliance Executive Director, who testified at the hearing. “Mature and old-growth forests once blanketed two-thirds of the Pacific Northwest, today, after decades of logging, less than 20% remains on the landscape.”

David A. Perry, a professor emeritus in the Department of Forest Science at Oregon State University and member of the National Commission on the Science of Sustainable Forestry also provided testimony.  “Saving all remaining old-growth forests greatly enhances the probability of late-successional-dependent species persisting through this period of extreme habitat bottleneck, reduces the chance of flooding, and lowers the risk of mega-fires,” Perry explained.  “Saving mature forests that are on a trajectory toward old-growth contributes significantly to these goals in the short run, and will be essential in the long run.”

Witnesses at today’s hearing described the many community and ecosystem benefits that old-growth forests provide including clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and global warming mitigation. Portland, Eugene, Salem, Corvallis, Ashland, Eureka, Arcata, and many other municipalities across the region rely on old-growth forests on federal lands to protect the quality of the rivers and streams that provide their clean drinking water. Older and mature forests provide ideal habitat for rare and iconic Northwest species like elk, fisher, murrelets, owls, and salmon.

“The science is clear,” added Mitch Friedman, Executive Director of Conservation Northwest who attended the hearing. “We should be protecting forests older than McCain and restoring forests younger than Obama.”

Some of the reasons to protect old growth have been well known for generations. Old-growth forests are an integral part of the way of life in the Pacific Northwest where clean water, salmon, fishing and hunting, and scenic landscapes are cherished. The region’s recreation and outdoor economy has boomed in the past decade, with people traveling to enjoy the pristine forests of Oregon’s Rogue Valley and Washington’s Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. Quality of life, provided in part by mature and old-growth forests, is recognized as an important engine that drives economic development in the Pacific Northwest.

Other ecosystem benefits provided by old-growth forests are just coming into full view. A growing body of research is showing the important role that Northwest forests can play in mitigating global warming. The region’s old-growth forests store carbon pollution more efficiently than any other forest type in the world. In Oregon alone, forest growth sequesters nearly 50% of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

“As the potential adverse impacts of global warming continue to pile up, the protection of old growth forests becomes even more important,” said Jonathan Jelen, Old Growth Campaign Coordinator with Oregon Wild. “These forests store huge amounts of carbon at a very low cost and are vital to our future efforts in combating climate change.”

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