Old Growth
Ken Wall
5 Posts

CCL’s training video seems to support removal of old and large trees In favor of younger trees. How is this promoting healthy forests?  Among others, the Biden administration and the Sierra Club think saving stands of old growth trees is a good idea.   

7 Replies

Hi @Ken Wall.  I discuss this around the 21 to 22 minute mark in the healthy forests training video:

policy-wise you kind of want to do both things. You want to conserve and preserve the old growth forests while also doing a lot of planting of new trees so that those new trees can grow and pull more carbon out of the atmosphere.  So you have to do both things and keep both things in mind in your policy development.

So yes, preserving old growth trees is definitely a good idea.  When we talk about working forests and harvesting trees, those are relatively young trees (not classified as old growth).  And we also talk about replanting trees in areas where there used to be forests (a.k.a. reforestation) and planting urban trees.

Jeff Green
61 Posts

@Ken Wall I would hope your eval of CCL policy isn't true.  E.g., 


 

Ken Wall
5 Posts
Dana
I am not able to reply to your post because my password apparently won't work, and instructions for resetting it are unclear.  I seem to be locked out.

Thank you for replying.  I obviously misunderstood, probably because I remember you saying in another presentation that old trees stop sequestering carbon and can therefore be harvested, or words to that effect. If I heard you wrong, then I apologize.  My understanding of the carbon storing value of old trees is informed by articles such as the following:


So, to be clear, you are saying that it shall be CCL policy that we advocate for the preservation of old growth trees.  Or have I got it wrong again?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Ken
Ken Wall
5 Posts
To Jeff
Thank you for the response.  I seem to be temporarily locked out of Community. 

It could be that I misinterpreted CCL's policy, and I have asked Dana for clarification.  I also sent him a link to another relevant article to supplement the one you posted.

Ken Wall

Hi @Ken Wall. Yes, as noted, we support protecting old growth trees.

Ken Wall
5 Posts
Thanks, Dana.  I am now clear that CCL's policy is for us to advocate for old growth forest preservation.

@Ken Wall

Inside Climate News article on 4/21/‘23 by M. Lavelle contains multiple misleading statements in regards to carbon sequestration of “old trees” and “old growth” forests and similarly misleading statements about logging on national forest lands. The article links to another  article with misleading statements by the same author dated 3/5/‘23. These statements can lead to factually flawed and technically incorrect conclusions in regards to carbon sequestration by old growth forests and logging on lands managed by the US Forest Service. In addition the articles reference sources that are likely biased. Skepticism is warranted.

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