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Stop Protected Forests From Being Sacrificed for Industry Profits
Final signature count: 7,183
7,183 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: The Rainforest Site
Millions of acres of public forestland are being handed over to logging companies, threatening endangered species, clean water, and the climate—unless we fight back now.
More than 100 million acres of national forests—nearly 60% of public forestlands—have been opened to logging under new federal orders1. These forests include critical wildlife habitats, drinking water sources, and old-growth carbon sinks. Logging is moving forward without meaningful environmental review, public input, or safeguards for endangered species2.
This isn’t forest management. It’s a mass deregulation of protections that existed for decades.
What’s Being Cut Isn’t Just Trees
Under orders from the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service is being directed to increase timber sales by 25%3. In California, all 18 national forests—spanning over 20 million acres—are affected4. In the Northwest, iconic public lands in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are now under pressure to produce more timber5.
These forests support hundreds of species that depend on mature tree cover and clean waterways. The endangered Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat rely on old trees for roosting6. Mussels and salamanders like the eastern hellbender depend on undisturbed rivers to survive6.
Wildfire Risk Is No Excuse
Federal officials claim this logging surge is needed to reduce wildfire risk. But fire ecologists say cutting old-growth trees makes fires worse, not better. Large trees are more fire-resistant and store moisture. Logging often leaves behind dry brush and flammable debris6.
Experts agree: the best wildfire solutions are prescribed burns, thinning small trees, and creating defensible space around homes—not gutting national forests5.
The Climate Cost Is Devastating
Mature forests play a key role in slowing climate change. A 2022 study showed that protecting large, old-growth trees could offset up to 10% of U.S. fossil fuel emissions5. Once logged, it takes decades for those carbon stores to recover—if they ever do.
Logging these forests undermines our ability to meet climate goals and protect clean air and water for future generations.
We Still Have a Choice
This isn’t just about trees. It’s about the right to clean water, a stable climate, and biodiversity. It’s about ensuring that endangered species don’t disappear because of political decisions made behind closed doors.
If we don’t act now, protections that took generations to build will vanish in a matter of months. These lands belong to the American public—not the timber industry.
Sign the petition and tell federal leaders to immediately ban logging in previously protected forests.
