USDA opens 59% of U.S. National Forests to logging — California hit hardest

California – On April 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a sweeping emergency memorandum authorizing logging on 112.6 million acres of national forest land — nearly 60% of the nation’s total — citing “uncharacteristically severe wildfires, insect and disease outbreaks, invasive species, and other stressors.” The order, signed by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, affects all 18 of California’s national forests, including Los Padres, Angeles, and San Bernardino National Forests, and opens vast stretches of Southern California’s wilderness to timber harvesting.

Although the memo claims the Forest Service will “work with State and local partners and federally recognized Tribes,” it also authorizes unilateral emergency action without requiring local cooperation. Notably absent from the memo is any acknowledgment of climate change as a factor in worsening wildfire seasons, despite overwhelming scientific consensus.

The move has sparked alarm among conservationists. According to Forest Keeper, a nonprofit focused on protecting national forests, heavy logging could worsen wildfire risk rather than reduce it. “Logged sites are filled with dried-out debris and higher winds that are far more flammable than older, mature forests,” the group stated. Mature forests, they argue, store more moisture, stabilize soil, and naturally slow wind speeds—factors critical for wildfire mitigation.

Moreover, the potential environmental fallout extends beyond fire risks. The U.S. Forest Service acknowledges that over 180 million Americans rely on national forests for clean drinking water. Logging, which often increases sediment and runoff, could degrade water quality for more than half the U.S. population.

Critics suggest the emergency declaration may be motivated more by economic pressures than ecological concerns. Amid a growing lumber shortage and the Trump Administration’s proposed tariff hike on Canadian wood imports — from 14.5% to 34.5% — domestic timber is increasingly vital for rebuilding efforts, especially in fire-ravaged Southern California. According to the L.A. Times, developers face significant cost uncertainties as they attempt to rebuild communities.

Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, have vowed to challenge the order in court, warning it could push already threatened species toward extinction. Meanwhile, a proposed rule change by the Department of Commerce seeks to weaken the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, potentially stripping habitat protections at a critical moment.

Ironically, among those endangered by the new policy could be the burgeoning population of bald eagles making a comeback in the San Bernardino National Forest.