“There’s a significant amount of mature and old-growth trees that are already under protected status,” said Nick Smith with the American Forest Resource Council, a timber industry group.
U.S. plans new forest protections from fires, insects, climate change; issues old-growth inventory
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Smith said the administration should instead be concentrating on another piece of its strategy to combat wildfires - thinning stands where decades of fire suppression allowed undergrowth to flourish, which can be a recipe for disaster when fires ignite.
Biden forest plan stirs dispute over what counts as 'old'
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