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Oregonians are up in arms about President Donald Trump’s executive order to increase industrial logging, saying that old-growth forests are crucial for carbon storage, clean water, and wildlife.
The Executive Order
The executive order was issued on 1 March, calling for the ‘immediate expansion of American timber production.’ Describing federal policies as onerous, the Trump administration says America relies on timber imports, compromising self-reliance.
The order claims it is vital to reverse existing policies and increase domestic timber production to protect national and economic security.
A section of the order reads that the U.S. has sufficient timber supplies to meet domestic needs.
However, ‘heavy-handed federal policies’ have made the country reliant on foreign producers, impeding job creation and prosperity and contributing to wildfire disasters.
The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture have been given until the end of this month (March) to formulate plans to increase timber production and reduce timber supply uncertainty.
The two departments will work with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Order has Sparked Sharp Criticism
Critics claim the administration is undermining environmental protections and opening the way for industry to log public lands ‘without accountability.’
The move has sparked sharp criticism by Oregon Wild attorney, John Persell, who describes the executive order as ‘ill-conceived and reckless.’
Oregon Wild Conservation Director Steve Pedery says the administration’s claim that increased logging is a wildfire prevention move is ‘a sham.’ The Organization has vowed to ‘hold the administration accountable’ and to protect the country’s National Forests.
The directive led to meetings across the country, including in Oregon, where fears were expressed about the number of employees of public lands that could lose their jobs.
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