In an effort to protect the nation’s woodlands from fires, insects and other side effects of climate change, officials said Thursday that the Biden administration has identified more than 175,000 square miles (453,000 square kilometers) of old growth and mature forests on U.S. government lands.
As a result of the inventory and pending rule, environmentalists hope to see new restrictions on logging. Despite President Joe Biden's Earth Day announcement last year about protecting older forests, timber industry representatives and some members of Congress have remained skeptical.
The federal register is expected to publish a formal rulemaking notice in the near future. There was no immediate word on further details.