Reading the article “Fired Los Padres National Forest Worker Faces Off with Elon Musk” sparks concern in me for our forests. Two new executive orders were released on March 1, “Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Timber/Lumber” and “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.” This combination of vital forest service workers being laid off and executive orders calling on making our national forests lumber farms will be detrimental to old growth trees.
I have hiked through the beautiful Los Padres National Forest. It concerns me to think that many of the trails and trees could soon be gone. Our oldest trees tend to be the largest, meaning they are at the most risk to logging. Old growth forests are not only important to people, but are crucial to the fight against climate change as well. They sequester significant amounts of carbon, act as homes for wildlife, and provide clean air and water. Our oldest trees take longer than most human lifetimes to grow, so it is critical that we advocate for them in the turbulent times ahead. After all, the greater threat to national security is not the production of lumber, but rather the ever growing issue of climate change.
