The Ancient Giants Are Falling: The Urgent Fight to Save Our Last Old-Growth Forests

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Old-growth forest conservation and logging impacts - Solution

Sustainable Forest Management

We promote and implement management plans that prioritize the long-term health and biodiversity of old-growth forests over short-term timber extraction.

  • Advocating for reduced-impact logging techniques that minimize soil disturbance and protect canopy structure.
  • Supporting extended harvest rotations and setting aside high-conservation-value areas within managed forests.

Protected Area Establishment

We assist in the scientific identification, legal designation, and ongoing stewardship of protected areas to conserve intact old-growth ecosystems.

  • Conducting biodiversity and carbon stock assessments to prioritize areas for protection.
  • Developing management plans for parks and reserves that address threats like illegal logging and encroachment.

Policy Advocacy And Certification

We work to influence forestry policies and promote market-based certification systems that favor the conservation of old-growth forests.

  • Campaigning for stronger legal protections against clear-cutting in primary forests.
  • Promoting Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification to create market demand for products from responsibly managed forests.

Ecological Impact Research

We conduct and disseminate scientific research on the impacts of logging to inform better conservation strategies and public awareness.

  • Studying the loss of habitat for specialist species and the fragmentation effects of logging roads.
  • Quantifying the carbon emissions and long-term carbon storage reduction caused by degrading old-growth forests.

Community Engagement And Alternatives

We collaborate with local and indigenous communities to develop economic alternatives to logging that depend on keeping forests standing.

  • Supporting sustainable non-timber forest product enterprises, such as harvesting medicinal plants or nuts.
  • Developing ecotourism initiatives that generate income while preserving the forest's ecological integrity.
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Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

A: Logging in old-growth forests leads to significant ecological impacts, including loss of biodiversity, disruption of complex ecosystems that have developed over centuries, soil erosion, changes in water cycles, and reduced carbon storage capacity, which exacerbates climate change. These forests are irreplaceable reservoirs of unique species and genetic diversity.

A: Old-growth forests are critical carbon sinks, storing vast amounts of carbon in their trees, soil, and decaying organic matter. Conserving them prevents the release of this stored carbon into the atmosphere, which occurs during logging and subsequent decomposition or burning, thereby helping to regulate global greenhouse gas levels.

A: Sustainable forestry typically involves managing younger, second-growth forests for timber production using practices that maintain ecosystem health over the long term. It is fundamentally different from logging old-growth forests, which are often clear-cut. True conservation requires protecting remaining old-growth areas from industrial logging, while sustainable forestry is applied to already disturbed or plantation forests, making coexistence possible through strict land-use zoning and protection policies.