{"id":804,"date":"2024-02-14T22:52:50","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alleghenyforestalliance.org\/?page_id=804"},"modified":"2025-02-07T18:51:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T18:51:35","slug":"old-growth-plan-amendment-opposed","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/alleghenyforestalliance.org\/index.php\/participate\/old-growth-plan-amendment-opposed\/","title":{"rendered":"Old-Growth Plan Amendment Opposed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"UPDATE:<\/strong>\u00a0 The USFS has withdrawn its notice of intent to prepare a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this proposal.\u00a0 This is an enormous success for the sustainability of our national forests and the communities that host them!<\/p>\n

However, the email notice<\/strong><\/a> referred to “our future stewardship of these special forests”, so the AFA will be keeping an eye on future actions with similar intent.<\/p>\n

The agency also listed an upcoming proposed ruled, \u201cClimate Resilience and Carbon Stewardship on National Forest System Lands\u201d<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0planned for March 2025.\u00a0 This sound like it may be a rebranding of the old-growth amendment combined with the USFS’ Carbon Capture and Storage rule, which is delayed while they respond to thousands of public comments.\u00a0 We are working with our partners to urge the incoming Agriculture Secretary to prevent the publication of this, or any similar rules.<\/p>\n

HISTORY:<\/strong>\u00a0 On December 20, 2023, the USFS published its Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest<\/a><\/strong>, which would direct a system-wide update to 128 forest management plans mandating creation of more old-growth on every forest. There was plenty to be concerned about in this proposal and a total of 5,742 comments were submitted.\u00a0\u00a0The AFA\u2019s comment letter opposed the plan based on its:<\/p>\n