Some Old Growth & Mature Trees Getting Federal Protection

Saturday, April 29th, 2023 -- 8:13 AM

(By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio) -More than 112 million acres of mature and old-growth forests have been identified on federal lands nationwide as the Biden Administration plans to craft a rule that would outline policies to protect them.

The move would affect mature and old growth stands that have been identified on federal lands in Wisconsin, including the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Federal agencies released its first national inventory Thursday as part of fulfilling an executive order issued by President Joe Biden on Earth Day last year. The age of older trees varied from a minimum of roughly 100 years old in the U.S. Forest Service region that includes Wisconsin, to 300 years old for regions out west. Under Biden’s directive, federal officials must coordinate strategies to analyze threats, reduce wildfire risks and develop climate-smart policies. Environmental advocates in Wisconsin argue mature and old-growth trees must be protected because they’re crucial for fighting climate change, including Andy Olsen, a senior policy advocate with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. "These forests sequester and store vast amounts of carbon and when they're logged they release carbon," Olsen said.

Most trees in Wisconsin were cut and cleared by loggers during the late 1800s and early 1900s. A decade ago, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources noted old-growth trees in the state are rare. Only about 1 percent of the forests had trees at least 120 years old, spanning around 77,000 acres. Wisconsin still has small clusters and scattered stands of old-growth trees in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, which spans 1.5 million acres in northern Wisconsin. Olsen and other groups want to see a rule that would ban logging them on federal forest lands. They’ve called on the Forest Service to halt projects, including the Fourmile Vegetation Management Project. The project aims to log nearly 12,000 acres in parts of Oneida, Vilas and Forest counties, and groups say two-thirds of stands are more than 80 years old. The Forest Service rejected groups’ request to suspend the project. U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said it would "promote the long-term health and productivity" in the area, as well as its potential to store carbon.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.