The president will exit office without securing lasting safeguards for the nation’s most ancient trees, which play a key role in mitigating climate change.
—
PresidentJoeBidenspeaksaftersigningaproclamationdesignatingNov.17asInternationalConservationDayduringavisittotheAmazoninManaus,Brazil.SAULLOEBviaGettyImages
TheBidenadministrationonTuesdaywithdrewaproposalthatwouldhaveprotectedthenation’soldest,mostcarbon-richforestsfromfuturelogging.
ForestServiceChiefRandyMooreannouncedthedecisioninamemotoagencystaff.ThemovefollowsamultiyearprocessinwhichtheForestService,anagencywithalonghistoryofprioritizingtimberproduction,wasaccusedofdraggingitsfeettorespondtoanexecutiveorderthatPresidentJoeBidensignedinApril2021,whichtaskedtheagencywithcraftingpoliciestobetterconserveandrestoreAmerica’sold-growthforests.
Ancientforestshelpfightclimatechangebysequesteringmassiveamountsofplanet-warminggreenhousegasesintheirtreesandsoil.AcoalitionofdozensofenvironmentalgroupshadlobbiedtheBidenadministrationtoprotectremainin
