Environment California, reports that after years-long efforts, the Tongass National Forest finally has longstanding protections for 9 million acres of its pristine trees, lakes and streams. The Biden administration’s protection of the Tongass is a major win for the forest and the wildlife that calls it home. But while the administration ruled to protect the Tongass, it’s also moving forward with logging projects in other older forests across the country.2 That’s why Environment California is using every tool we have—from lobbying to canvassing for grassroots support to creating media attention—to stop logging in our precious mature forests. Just as our campaign to save the Tongass took several years, saving mature and old-growth trees is a long-term campaign, and the only way we can succeed is with sustained support. Our national forests are critical to mitigating climate change, trapping carbon pollution in trunks, roots, branches and soil.3 And they’re home to thousands of species of wildlife and flora, many endangered. Federal agencies currently have plans to log more than 370,000 acres of trees that are homes to bears, lynx, birds and more.4 Some of these trees are centuries old, but industry wants to turn them into stumps. Most important: Once mature trees are cut down, it will take a lifetime to regrow them as they once were. We’re gearing up to let the public and decision makers know how damaging deforestation is to our climate and our environment. The only way we can make these long-term plans is by having long-term funding we can count on. Even $10 a month adds up in a significant way to help our work to save our forests. What is the single most effective way to support us? Ongoing support means we’re equipped to respond at a moment’s notice. We can never predict when the next threat to the environment will appear. We’re in our campaigns for the long haul. With research, news conferences, lawsuits, lobbying, mobilizing grassroots support and more, we’re engaged in an ongoing and multi-pronged effort to protect the environment and bring our campaigns across the finish line. Monthly giving is efficient, letting us direct more resources to critical programs and keep fundraising costs down. You can cancel or change your gift anytime. Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees, protecting public lands, standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. Resources 1“Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Protections for Tongass National Forest,� U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 25, 2023. 2Ellen Montgomery, “Report: U.S. Agencies Undermine Biden’s Pledge to Protect Climate-Saving Forests,� Environment America, November 14, 2022. 3Torah Kachur, “As trees age, their climate benefit grows,� CBC, November 22, 2021. 4Ellen Montgomery, “Report: U.S. Agencies Undermine Biden’s Pledge to Protect Climate-Saving Forests,� Environment America, November 14, 2022. Environment California is a non-profit that is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change. For more information or to donate: environmentcalifornia.webaction.org. For questions or requests: (800) 401-6511. Facebook/Twitter. Environment California, Inc., 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 385, Los Angeles, CA 90010, (213) 251-3688.