Helping the Earth Heal
Green Climate is a charitable organization devoted to our natural resources.
We must protect our natural resources.
Critical & Magical
The earth’s natural resources must be protected, improved and where possible expanded If we are to address the climate change crisis. Old growth forests, wetlands and oceans capture and store CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Unlike other strategies, this capture and sequestration is ongoing. It does not suffer from the faults of other strategies.
It is essential that we enjoy these resources and value the magic that they hold. The ability to experience our forests, wilderness, wetlands, rivers, oceans, parks and natural monuments is priceless!
Green Climate takes an active role in the conservation and protection of our natural resources for our enjoyment of the these gifts and an achievable climate change solution.
Increased Timber Harvesting of Federal Forests
On March 1, 2025, the White House issued Executive Order 14225 entitled, “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.” The order claimed that increased timber production on National Forest Lands is “critical to the nation’s well-being” and “essential for crucial human activities like construction and energy production.” Based on these claims, the order seeks to open hundreds of millions of acres of federal forest land to harvesting and avoid “heavy-handed Federal policies.” The policies that the order is referring to are essential permitting requirements like those under the Endangered Species Act and the legally required rule and policy making processes. The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior were ordered to issue guidance on tools that can be used to increase timber production, sound forest management and reduce time of delivery.
In furtherance of this order, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins issued an April 3, 2025 order in the form of Secretary’s Memorandum 1078-006 “Increasing Timber Production And Designating An Emergency Situation On National Forest System Lands.” The memorandum far exceeds the authority from the White House Executive Order and requires that the National Forest Service clear timber that it characterizes as necessary to address forest fire risk and increased tree mortality. In doing so, Secretary Rollins makes an Emergency Situation Determination (ESD) under the Biden Administrations Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act
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The ESD provision only allows expedited action after storms and wildfires. In this case, the Secretary’s ESD determination is an illegal attempt to avoid administrative permitting requirements and the Endangered Species Act. The Secretary uses the ESD to justify timber harvesting on 112,646,000 acres of our forests. Increased timber harvesting is not an emergency action. More evidence of this sham is manifested in an order to the National Forest Service enforcing the order that referenced that timber may be sold at the low price established by the ESD.
Green Climate strongly opposed this illegal action and is evaluating all options to challenge it.
Science & Perspectives