USDA Orders to Expand Logging in National Forests Under Emergency

Agriculture secretary declared 59 percent of national forests to be in an emergency situation because of high risk of wildfires and hazardous tree conditions.

A crew member uses a tree processor to strip bark and branches from logs before being transported to a mill near Camptonville, Calif., Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Godofredo A. Vásquez /AP Photo

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a memo on April 4 allowing the use of more than 112 million acres of national forests for logging to increase timber production and reduce wildfire risk.

In the memo dated April 3, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins declared these forests—making up 59 percent of national forests—to be in an emergency situation because of their high risk of wildfires and hazardous tree conditions. The memo was released on April 4.