By Ellen Montgomery
Biden Administration’s climate plans lack a critical piece. Our national forests, and the incredible power they have to absorb carbon dioxide, are crucial missing pieces. It’s high time they were added. If we continue to do business in our federal forests as usual, it will only exacerbate the global warming and increase the risk of natural disasters in Colorado.
Boulder County residents will not forget the Marshall Fire anytime quickly. Two months later, many people are still displaced and trying their best to rebuild their lives. We all know now that the fire was caused by drought conditions. This was not only in Boulder County. Scientists report that the drought in the western United States has been the worst in over 1,200 years. The New York TimesWe are really feeling it in Colorado. Data from the National Drought Mitigation Center was reported in the Denver PostThe data shows that 38% of the state was suffering from severe drought, and 14.34% were in extreme drought as of December 20, 211. According to a report by CNN, although droughts have always been present, climate change is making them more common and more severe. NASA’s Earth Science News team.
Colorado has begun to take steps to address the climate crisis. This includes utilities like Xcel committing 100% renewable energy and increasing electric vehicle sales. Our forests are also home to some of the most advanced technology for storing and absorption of climate-changing carbon dioxide. Colorado is two-thirds forest — nearly 23 million acres — and the federal government manages the vast majority (71%) of our forest land. If left to their own devices, our forests would become older and absorb more carbon dioxide, keeping it out from the atmosphere.
We were not allowing the trees to grow. While some parts of our forests are protected by policies like the “Roadless Rule” or wilderness designation, most are not. Only 22% of the trees that the U.S. Forest Service managed in 2015 were on protected land. The rest were open for timber sales and logging, according to the USDA’s Forest Census.
The older trees also absorb and store more carbon dioxide, which helps us fight climate change. This is a dangerous cycle that will only increase our already dangerous global warming by cutting down these trees. The destruction and destruction of old-growth and mature trees reflects a short-sighted, wasteful mindset. We shouldn’t be destroying animal habitats or some of our most valuable natural climate solutions. They absorb more global-warming gasses than they emit. We must end all industrial logging and removal of old and mature trees from federal forests.
Not only is it good for the fight against climate changes, but it’s also good for our trees. Old growth forests are those with trees over 100 years old and are vital. Stability is key to allowing additional species to thrive in a forest. Sixty-six millions people in the United States depend on a national forest for their water supply. These forests offer recreation for anglers, hunters, and hikers, as well as providing water sources for the nation. In 2020, Colorado’s national forests saw 32.4 million visits.
The great thing about forests, is that they can be more useful for climate and habitat than you give them. Protecting our forests will make them more valuable over time. Colorado communities and the environment will benefit from a national climate policy that encourages trees to grow.
Ellen Montgomery is Public Lands Campaign director for Environment America and Environment Colorado.
