| Contact: John Persell, Oregon Wild Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild |
Eugene, OR – Today, the Trump administration issued a sweeping anti-environment directive that targets America’s National Forests for an increase in industrial logging at the expense of fish and wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, recreation, and the health of our forests. Oregon Wild strongly condemns this order, which promises to ramp up logging of mature and old-growth forests and threatens the health and safety of communities across the country.
“After pointlessly draining California reservoirs and gutting the ranks of park rangers, wildlife biologists, and other public lands civil servants, Trump has now set his sights on looting the American public’s forests. This plan is just as reckless and ill-conceived,” said John Persell, Oregon Wild Staff Attorney. “Oregonians have fought for decades to protect our forests from destructive logging, and we’re not about to let this administration unravel those hard-won protections without a fight.”
The executive order seeks to fast-track logging. By calling out the Endangered Species Act and the imperiled fish and wildlife habitats it protects, Trump is making it clear his administration will be targeting mature and old-growth forests. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that these forests are the most resilient to fire and essential for wildlife, clean water, and carbon storage. By gutting environmental protections and slashing oversight and citizen involvement, the Trump administration is making it easier for industry to log public lands without accountability.
“The idea that this is about wildfire prevention is a sham,” said Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild Conservation Director. “Trump’s order is about enriching timber corporations and deregulating the industry. Our public lands agencies have all the tools they need to log and manage for wildfire, but thanks to the Musk firings, they do not have the staff and expertise. What Trump is championing will not only increase wildfire risk, it will harm communities across Oregon and the country.”
“This move is part of a broader pattern of chaos, incompetence, and corruption that has defined the Trump administration’s early moves on public lands. By weakening environmental protections and fast-tracking logging permits, Trump is undermining safeguards that have protected our forests and communities for decades.”
At town halls across the country, including in Oregon, Americans have voiced fear and outrage over the mass firing of National Park Service, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management professionals as part of Trump and Musk’s ideological crusade to dismantle the federal workforce. Oregon’s sole Republican Congressman, Cliff Bentz, faced hostile audiences throughout his conservative district last month, with many attendees expressing deep concern over the purge of public lands employees.
“Trump and his allies fundamentally misunderstand America’s public lands. He sees them not as a shared heritage that belongs to all Americans, but as just another asset to be looted by political cronies,” continued Pedery. “Oregon Wild has a long history of holding both Republican and Democratic administrations accountable and upholding protections for America’s National Forests, Parks, Monuments, and other public lands. We stand ready to do so again.”
Trump also signed a second order today that tries to present this effort to loot America’s public lands as a solution to housing prices and lumber imports from Germany, Brazil, and Canada. The US imports almost no construction lumber from Germany or Brazil, and housing experts have warned his planned taxes on trade with Canada will slow homebuilding and drive up the price of materials.
“There couldn’t be a starker contrast between administrations,” said Lauren Anderson, Climate Forests Campaign Manager for Oregon Wild. “The Biden administration’s executive order on forests provided broad public benefits and was grounded in science, recognizing that mature and old-growth forests are our best natural climate solution. That initiative generated over one million supportive comments. Trump is doing the exact opposite—undermining the very idea of public lands to benefit his wealthy allies.”
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Oregon Wild represents 20,000 members and supporters who share our mission to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and water as an enduring legacy. Our goal is to protect areas that remain intact while striving to restore areas that have been degraded.
