Member-only story
Logging Lies: The Real Agenda Behind ‘Freeing Our Forests’
Just 5% of total U.S. land is made up of protected old-growth forests — and that’s what this Administration hopes to target next.
President Trump says he’s expanding timber production by “freeing our forests” because, according to him, we already have too many trees and we must create jobs.
Yes, the U.S. ranks among the top countries for forest cover, behind Russia, Brazil, and Canada. But not all forests and trees are equal.
Let’s start from the top. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS), only about 30% of U.S. land is under any form of biodiversity protection. This includes lands with designations like National Parks, Wilderness Areas, and National Forests. That leaves roughly 70% of U.S. land unprotected — a mix of private property, state-managed lands, and developed areas.
Of the 30% that is protected, only 17% falls under the management of National Forests — a major focus of the current administration’s logging initiatives. National Forests are considered multiple-use…
