IntroductionPsalm 104 says “The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly; the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees.” This Psalm is a litany of the way that God as a Creator cares for us through forests. The trees are well watered and because of the care that they receive, they can care for the other members of Creation that surround them like the storks. God takes care of trees, the trees take care of us… and that relationship should be mutual. Unfortunately, we continually turn our backs on mature and old-growth forests that have taken centuries to grow in order to make a quick profit and distribute trees inequitably so that the poorest among us will bear the brunt of extreme heat due to lack of tree cover. As Christians, we have a responsibility to care for God’s creation, it is our duty to speak up and tell the Administration what is needed to keep God’s creation and people safe.
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Click to download CJM's Old and Mature Growth Forest factsheet! Within this fact sheet, you will find a policy overview and theological framing that can be either shared with a congregation or used on an individual basis.
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What Are Old and Mature Growth Forests?Old and mature growth trees have been part of God’s creation for 150-250 years and store significantly more carbon than young growth trees. These forests are essential to removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, safeguarding wildlife, and providing clean drinking water for our communities. Additionally, they are powerful natural air purifiers that filter our air and water, not to mention a home for many of God’s creatures.
However, these forests have been eradicated from most of the continental United States, with only 50,000 square miles of old growth forests and 125,000 square miles of mature growth forests remaining. This poses danger for the rest of God’s creation, because without the air purification from these forests, harmful pollutants from the air can cause higher rates of asthma, heart disease, lung disease, and cancer. We are losing many of the benefits from old and mature growth forests, and with the rate of climate change, we do not have the luxury of decimating any gifts of God's creation. |
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Old-Growth Forests Need your Help!
In 2022, the Biden Administration released Executive Order 14072, “Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities and Local Economies.” This executive order advanced old-growth forest conservation and supported climate-smart forest management. Following the Executive Order, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and US Forest Service were called to develop and implement new policy that was beyond the Executive Order’s scope. In June 2024, they released a draft proposal, but the provisions are inadequate and neglect critical forest safeguards.
However, the Forest Service opened a comment period through September 20, 2024. This comment period is currently closed. Still, here were the reasons why the proposed amendment was not strong enough to match the magnitude of the threats :
However, the Forest Service opened a comment period through September 20, 2024. This comment period is currently closed. Still, here were the reasons why the proposed amendment was not strong enough to match the magnitude of the threats :
- The DEIS neglects to include language that actually prohibits logging
- There are currently logging projects being planned that threaten forests
- The DEIS does not explicitly prohibit commercial selling of old-growth trees
- Carbon and climate mitigation are underrepresented in the DEIS
- The agency can haphazardly remove a forest’s “old growth” status, thereby removing the protections.
Theological FramingLost, poem by David Wagoner
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you. |
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David Wagoner’s poem invites us to consider the role that trees play in our world in general and in our particular lives. They exhale the oxygen that we need. They provided home and protection for birds and many other species. They create spaces of wonder, mystery, and awe that in a way, help us understand who we truly are. The gift of trees is that they stand as our wise, ancient ancestors, pointing us to the majesty of God’s Creation.
The prophet Isaiah warns that when God’s anger turns against an unjust city, “the glory of their forest and their fruitful land the Lord will destroy… The remnant of the trees of their forest will be so few that a child can write them down”. (Isaiah 10:18-19) To be without trees, particularly the forests that have guarded over a land for centuries, is a sign of desolation. It’s hard to imagine that God is pleased when we put our seemingly insatiable need for more resources ahead of the health of these elders. When we lose them, we lose part of ourselves and the loss is a punishment that we are inflicting upon ourselves. As we continue to shine the light on the need for protections for our vulnerable forests, let us focus our hearts and minds on all of the gifts that forests give to us and let us endeavor to not lose ourselves by letting them fall to harm.
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Old-Growth Forest Prayer Creating God, We know that when we breathe in, we inhale the same Spirit that brought the world into being and animated all of its creatures. Yet we know we also know that we could not breathe without the forest, the lungs of the earth. We thank you for the many gifts that they provide: food, shelter, awe, wonder, and adventure. We praise you for the reminders they give of your steadfastness and faithfulness. We thank you for the ways that trees teach us to communicate, to support one another and share what they have with one another. But so often we have failed to heed this message. Instead of listening to the wisdom of the forest, we cut them to the ground to build more than we need, to make space for the superfluous, and to indulge in the excessive. We’ve treated our mighty ancestors as just another resource to be consumed and discarded. Lord, have Mercy! Forgive us for the abuse of our wooded elders. Forgive us for harming the lungs of the earth and by extension polluting our own breath. Forgive us for seeing commodity where you have created beauty and markets where you have created wonder. Give us the strength to stand firmly on the side of our ancient siblings against the forces of greed and consumption. Teach us to listen to our elders’ teachings and reignite our love for the majesty and mystery that forests provide. May the same Spirit that enlivened the world give us courage to protect the forests that stand as a testimony to your faithfulness. Amen. |
