The "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production" executive order is devastating. National forests provide clean air and water, serve as important wildlife habitats, and help bolster local economies. Our forests are also important in the fight against climate change as a result of their carbon-sequestering abilities.
As a community of climate-conscious individuals, we are writing to urge you to report on President Trump's recent attacks on our national forests and parks. Trump and Elon Musk have slashed funding, canceled contracts, and fired thousands of federal employees across several critical departments, but the President's recent executive order takes these attacks to a new level.
The "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production" order demands an expansion in tree-cutting across 280 million acres of national forests and other public lands. It comes on the heels of Tom Schultz's appointment as the new U.S. Forest Service Chief—a former timber industry executive at Idaho Forest Group.
This executive order is nothing short of devastating. It:
- targets our national forests, which provide clean air and water, protect endangered species, and boost local economies;
- claims that felling trees will curb wildfires and protect communities when the opposite is true; and
- violates numerous laws, such as the National Forest Management Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Please consider educating your viewers about this harmful order so they can better understand what's at stake. Thank you.