President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that significantly expands logging on federal lands, removing environmental protections and fast-tracking timber sales. The order directs agencies to ramp up tree cutting across 280 million acres of national forests, bypassing key safeguards under the Endangered Species Act and rolling back regulations that previously limited deforestation. Environmentalists and conservation groups have strongly condemned the move, calling it an unprecedented attack on public lands.
Prioritizing Industry Over Conservation
Trump's order claims that "heavy-handed federal policies" have made the U.S. dependent on foreign timber and that increased logging is necessary for national and economic security. The directive eliminates regulatory hurdles to allow more timber production and instructs agencies to streamline permitting for logging projects. It also calls for emergency powers to override environmental protections that prevent the destruction of old-growth forests, home to countless species.
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Critics claim that corporate logging interests are the only reason behind this action. The Sierra Club denounced the decision, saying, "This executive order will decimate our federal forests. It will use tax dollars to line the pockets of corporate logging interests, undermine environmental laws, and take public forests out of public hands."
Environmental Devastation and Increased Wildfire Risks
Trump has framed the order as a measure to reduce wildfire risks, but many scientists warn that clear-cutting large sections of forests will do the opposite. Chad Hanson, a wildfire scientist at the John Muir Project, criticized the order to The Guardian as "the most blatant attempt in American history by a president to hand over federal public lands to the logging industry." He added, "Trump falsely claims that more logging will curb wildfires and protect communities, while the overwhelming weight of evidence shows exactly the opposite."
Hanson explained that logging removes fire-resistant trees and alters the forest microclimate, making conditions hotter, drier, and more prone to fast-moving wildfires. According to him, this was evident in recent Los Angeles wildfires, where extensive logging had actually made fires more severe.
Endangered Species and Clean Water at Risk
Trump's order directs federal agencies to work around the Endangered Species Act, allowing logging to proceed even in areas where it threatens rare and vulnerable wildlife. Conservationists warn that this move could push species like grizzly bears, spotted owls, and wild salmon closer to extinction. The Center for Biological Diversity warned in a statement that the order "will unleash the chainsaws and bulldozers on our federal forests. Clear-cutting these beautiful places will increase fire risk, drive species to extinction, pollute our rivers and streams, and destroy world-class recreation sites."
In addition to harming wildlife, the destruction of forests will affect water supplies for millions of Americans. Mature forests filter and store clean water, and their removal could result in widespread pollution and depletion of vital resources.
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Industry Takeover of Public Lands
Trump's pro-industry stance is further evident in his appointment of Tom Schultz, a former executive at lumber producer Idaho Forest Group as the new chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Schultz will now oversee 154 national forests and 193 million acres of land, roughly the size of Texas. His appointment follows mass layoffs at the Forest Service, including 2,000 workers, many of whom were responsible for wildfire prevention and environmental oversight.
The decision to install a logging executive at the helm of the nation's forests has sparked outrage. Anna Medema from the Sierra Club criticized the move, saying, "Naming a corporate lobbyist to run the agency tasked with overseeing the last old growth left in the U.S. makes it clear that the Trump administration's goal isn't to preserve our national forests, but to sell them off to billionaires and corporate polluters."
Public Backlash and the Fight to Save Forests
Environmental groups, scientists, and conservationists are vowing to fight back, warning that this decision will have devastating consequences for wildlife, climate, and future generations. As Randi Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity put it: "This is a particularly horrific move by Trump to loot our public lands by handing the keys to big business."
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