September 10th, 2024 at 3pm EST
On August 30th, the US Forest Service will release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed changes to the Northwest Forest Plan. For 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) has guided forest management across the PNW on federal lands. This will be the first amendment to the NWFP in 30 years, and presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish better protections for mature and old growth forests, meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities and a fighting chance at mitigating the climate crisis.
Among the key issues the Forest Service needs to address in the updated Forest Plan are tribal inclusion & fire stewardship and the protection of mature & old growth forests. To ensure the NWFP amendment enables a more just & sustainable future for our forests & communities rather than repeating the mistakes and injustices of the past, our communities need to speak out & comment on the proposed changes.
Join us Tuesday, September 10th at noon for a deep dive into these topics and what’s at stake in the NWFP, and to get resources & information to submit effective public comments. Speakers include Meredith Jacobson, University of Oregon PhD candidate & member of the FireGen Collaborative, and Madeline Cowen, Grassroots Organizer with Cascadia Wildlands.
The stakes of the NWFP Amendment are huge–for our last remaining mature & old growth forests, for the livability of our climate, for threatened & endangered species, and improper fire-risk reduction management for forests and communities.
