Trump executive orders to increase logging in national forests
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President Trump signed executive orders to increase lumber production across national forests and other public lands in the U.S., but wants to sidestep endangered species protections and other environmental regulations.
The big picture: Wildlife species reliant on undisturbed forests could face significant habitat loss, while expedited environmental reviews may reduce oversight on ecological impacts.
Driving the news: The executive orders that Trump signed on Saturday directs the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to expand timber production and calls for streamlining Endangered Species Act consultations to expedite forestry projects.
- The first executive order calls for considering new categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act, potentially allowing more logging projects to bypass thorough environmental reviews.
- It also seeks to reestablish exclusions for timber salvage and thinning, which could remove deadwood and other habitat structures critical for species like woodpeckers, insects and small mammals.
The second executive order promotes domestic timber production to replace imports.
- The order claims that timber, lumber and related products are critical to U.S. national security because these materials are essential for both civilian construction and military infrastructure.
- It also orders an investigation to assess whether foreign competition harms domestic timber production and whether measures like tariffs, export controls or quotas are needed.
Zoom in: The executive order calls timber production "essential for crucial human activities like construction and energy production" and easing wildfire risk.
- But Randi Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity told Axios that the order will worsen fire risks, drive species extinction, pollute waters and "destroy world-class recreation sites."
- The action follows last week's announcement of timber company executive Tom Schultz as Forest Service Chief.
Between the lines: While the executive order argues that increased timber harvesting will reduce wildfire risks, aggressive logging can sometimes have mixed effects.
- Deforestation fuels global warming because trees absorb CO2.
- Forest management can slow wildfires that climate change is intensifying — or worsen the problem, depending on how it's done.
- It also can increase soil erosion, which can result in water pollution.
What's next: The executive order demands specific steps from the Interior and Agriculture Departments.
- They include timber sales targets and using "categorical exclusions" from detailed environmental studies for logging.
- It also calls for those agencies to suggest legislative proposals to boost production and "streamline" Endangered Species Act reviews.
