The Pacific Northwest once saw the loss of three square miles of old-growth forest each week due to clearcutting. The Trump administration is now revisiting this approach.
In February 2026, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) put forward a proposal to amend management plans for nearly 2.5 million acres of Oregon forests. This initiative aims to quadruple timber production and eliminate protections for old-growth forests and the endangered species that depend on them.
This proposal emerges as scientific research increasingly highlights the critical role these forests play. They are among the best ecosystems for carbon storage, crucial reservoirs of biodiversity, and vital to nearby communities. Once destroyed, they cannot be restored within a human lifetime.
What Is an Old-Growth Forest?
The term “old-growth forest” was first introduced by researchers in the 1970s to describe ecosystems that are at least 150 years old and rich in biodiversity. However, there is no unified definition for “old growth.” In the U.S., a federal rule safeguards trees with a diameter exceeding 21 inches in six national forests, home to most old-growth forests. Environmentalists often define old growth as forests that have never been logged. All definitions emphasize complexity: old-growth forests are characterized by layered canopies, decaying logs, and a diverse understory rich in fungi, ferns, and long-stored soil carbon.
In western Oregon, this complexity is evident in Douglas fir and western red cedar trees reaching up to 200 feet tall, often covered in thick moss. These forests remain among the most productive timberlands globally.
The Carbon Case, Revised and Strengthened
Previously, it was thought that only young forests absorbed carbon, while mature forests merely stored it. However, a global analysis of 519 forest carbon-flux assessments disproved this, showing that forests aged 15 to 800 years typically have a positive net carbon balance. Mature forests continue to sequester carbon and are not carbon-neutral.
A 2024 study in AGU Advances compared the carbon storage of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest with younger, managed forests. It found that old-growth forests generate more biomass per unit of water, continue to store carbon as they age, and are highly drought-resistant compared to replanted forests. This resilience is crucial as Oregon faces increasingly hot, dry summers, making the drought-buffering capacity of old-growth forests as valuable as their carbon storage.
A 2025 study published in Science of the Total Environment indicated that mature and old-growth forests outperform younger forests in addressing both climate change and biodiversity loss. Plantations and second-growth timber stands cannot match these advantages.
The data suggests that cutting down old-growth trees is not advisable. Bev Law, professor emerita at Oregon State University, told reporters that returning BLM harvests to 1 billion board feet annually, as aimed by the Trump administration in 2019, would be “insanity.” These forests can survive for millennia, with their carbon locked away in wood and soil, continuously accumulating over time.
Oregon Becomes a Battleground
The primary focus of the administration’s threat is on western Oregon’s O&C Lands. Initially granted to the Oregon and California Railroad, these lands reverted to federal ownership in 1916 and now span approximately 2.5 million acres across 17 counties managed by the BLM. In the 1960s, annual timber harvests frequently exceeded 1 billion board feet, peaking at 1.638 billion in 1964. Harvests fell sharply in the 1990s after the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet were listed as threatened, and the Northwest Forest Plan shifted management to conservation.
In February 2026, Trump’s BLM unveiled plans to revise management for these lands, intending to restore timber production to pre-1990 clear-cutting levels. The proposal encompasses all 2.5 million acres across 17 counties, including notable areas such as the Sandy River watershed, North Fork Clackamas, the Valley of the Giants, the Upper Molalla River, and Alsea Falls. Since 2000, harvests have varied from 45 to 275 million board feet annually. The new plan proposes increasing this to 1 billion board feet.
The public comment period concluded on March 23, 2026; a decision is tentatively planned for February 12, 2027. This timeline could extend beyond the current administration, but the proposal, once formally advanced, would limit future management choices. The goal is to eliminate environmental protections for salmon, drinking water, fire, and fuels to maximize timber extraction across public lands in western Oregon, said George Sexton, conservation director for KS Wild.
The Roadless Rule and the Bigger Picture
The BLM proposal is part of a broader rollback. In August 2025, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Trump administration’s plan to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. This rule from the Clinton era prohibits road construction, logging, and mining on about 58 million acres of federal forest land, including 2 million acres in Oregon. Rollins characterized the rule as cumbersome, outdated, and one-size-fits-all.
Environmental organizations swiftly pledged legal action. “If the Trump administration actually revokes the roadless rule, we will see them in court,” said Earthjustice attorney Drew Caputo. Oregon Rep. Andrea Salinas introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act in June 2025 to enshrine the rule into law, garnering nearly 50 House cosponsors.
In early 2025, Trump signed two executive orders directing agencies to expedite timber sales and bypass environmental reviews for more than 400 threatened and endangered species, including wild salmon, marbled murrelets, and spotted owls. A Republican budget bill passed in the Senate also mandated the Forest Service to boost timber production by at least 250 million board feet annually and to approve 20-year logging contracts, irrespective of environmental consequences.
Worth More Standing
There is an economic rationale for logging, but it is limited. Many Oregon counties have faced financial difficulties since logging decreased in the 1990s, and timber revenue is vital for rural budgets. However, industry representatives acknowledge that most mills can no longer process large old-growth logs. Technology has shifted to smaller and medium-sized wood, according to Amanda Sullivan-Astor of the Associated Oregon Loggers. The infrastructure for harvesting old-growth trees is lacking, even before accounting for legal challenges that could stall any plans for years.
The true value of old-growth forests extends beyond timber, yet this is not reflected in timber prices. These forests support a vast array of life, including not just spotted owls and murrelets, but also salmon, elk, bears, rare fungi, and plants that cannot endure even in plantations of the same species. Old-growth forests help regulate water, safeguard drinking supplies, prevent erosion and landslides, and protect nearby communities from wildfires. This contradicts the BLM’s claim that clearcutting would achieve these goals. In fact, the BLM’s own research has shown that clearcutting old-growth rainforests actually increases fire risk.
The fungal networks beneath the forest floor are gaining more attention from scientists and in popular literature. These networks introduce another layer of complexity that is irreplaceable. Scientists are still uncovering how trees utilize these fungal connections to exchange nutrients and chemical signals over many years. These systems take centuries to establish and cannot be recreated in plantations.
Any undiscovered benefits that old-growth forests might provide will be lost forever, all for approximately $1,000 per centuries-old tree, the current price for old-growth timber.
What You Can Do
The BLM’s process for revising O&C Lands management is ongoing. Although the public comment period ended in March 2026, the Environmental Impact Statement process is still in progress, and legal challenges are almost inevitable. Here are some ways you can stay involved:
- Follow Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, and Earthjustice for updates on litigation and comment opportunities.
- Contact your federal representatives about the Roadless Area Conservation Act and urge them to support making the Roadless Rule permanent law.
- Support the Old-Growth Forest Network, which strives to designate protected native forests in every U.S. county.
- Visit and spend time in public lands. Your presence and spending as a visitor demonstrate the value of forests beyond timber, which is crucial for land use planning.
- If you reside in a county with O&C Lands, attend local commissioner meetings where timber revenue is discussed. While logging generates revenue, there are also compelling financial reasons to preserve forests, protect clean water, and support outdoor tourism.
Related Reading
Ecosystem Services: Nature’s Gifts That Help Us Thrive
Restore Our Earth With Reforestation
Native Wisdom in Land Management
Biochar Was a Billion-Ton Dream. The Reality Is More Complicated.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Gemma Alexander on August 9, 2021, and was substantively updated in April 2026.
