Oregon’s healthy, mature forests are an important resource for its economy, and also for clean air and water, as well as a vital tool in combating the climate crisis.

In a recent op-ed, David Bernhardt, the U.S. Interior secretary, cited the international effort, Trillion Trees Initiative, in connection with President Donald Trump’s plan for increased logging on Oregon’s federal public lands. Bernhardt ignores mentioning that the Trillion Trees Initiative is not intended to justify increased logging.

Instead, TTI’s goal is to stop the deforestation and degradation of forests caused by logging and development. The initiative was started to restore devastated forest ecosystems that can “bring back the productivity of the land and its capacity to sustain rural livelihoods and abundant wildlife.”

Bernhardt also did not mention the important role of mature forests to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via photosynthesis, or to sequester carbon in the tree, branches, needles, roots and soil.

Older forests store far more carbon than young trees. It takes approximately 15 years after planting before a young tree can start capturing carbon dioxide. These young forests are also much more vulnerable than older trees to forest fires, not less, as cited in the Trump plan.

The Trump administration should not use the Trillion Trees Initiative to justify logging more of Oregon’s older forests. Our logging practices should ensure the health of forests for generations to come, and their role in reducing carbon emissions. Our economy and health depend on it.

CAROLYN EADY

Astoria