Trump Administration Slashes Protections, Paves Way for Logging in National Forests 

The current administration could not let a weekend go by without launching another salvo at our natural world. On March 1, Trump signed a new executive order calling for Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production. The effects of the order are significant and procedural, even if not immediate. 

The president issued an executive order aimed at accelerating logging projects across national forests and public lands, significantly weakening environmental review processes. The order primarily directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service (USFS) and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to expedite timber harvest approvals by limiting the scope of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). 

The Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act are critical to wildlife conservation as they help to protect and recover endangered species, preserve ecosystems, and ensure sustainable resource management. The ESA safeguards species at risk of extinction by mandating habitat conservation and recovery plans, while NEPA requires thorough environmental assessments before major actions, like timber harvest, can proceed. These laws help maintain biodiversity, prevent habitat destruction, and allow public and scientific input in decision-making.  

This directive follows a series of executive actions designed to roll back federal environmental oversight. A prior executive order sought to dismantle key components of the federal environmental review process, while the latest order extends those efforts into forest management. In addition to a federal hiring freeze, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has dismissed approximately 3,400 Forest Service employees, around 10 percent of its workforce, further straining the agency’s ability to manage public lands. The impact on Washington’s national forests has been severe, with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests each losing about a third of their staff, falling particularly heavy on their recreation teams. 

Impacts on Public Lands and Communities 

Recreation and Access: With dramatically reduced staffing, the Forest Service will struggle to maintain roads, hiking trails, visitor services, and law enforcement patrols. This is expected to result in degraded recreation quality, increased illegal activities such as unauthorized off-road vehicle use, and a decline in public land upkeep. Tribal treaty resources will be further degraded.

Wildfire Risk: Despite the administration’s claims that increased logging will mitigate wildfires, research contradicts this assertion. Industrial timberlands, often heavily logged, have been shown to burn more intensely. Effective wildfire risk reduction requires carefully planned thinning, retention of larger trees, and prescribed burning, none of which are directly supported by this executive order. The order invokes state and Tribal partnerships to address such needs but provides no new funds to partners. 

Old-Growth and Roadless Areas: For now, protections for roadless areas remain intact under Clinton-era policies, which the Trump administration failed to repeal in its previous term. Forest management plans developed under the National Forest Management Act continue to provide some safeguards for old-growth forests and other resources, though enforcement and oversight may weaken. There is also limited processing capacity in today’s modern mills, especially for big logs. However, if the administration does ramp up logging of older forests, there would be significant negative impacts to biodiversity through loss of habitat complexity, and climate through release of large amounts of stored carbon.

Conservation Northwest remains committed to advocating for science-based forest management that prioritizes ecological health and community resilience. Our Forest Field Team will continue trying to collaborate with agencies and partners to promote responsible forestry while resisting harmful projects. A return to polarization and litigation will not be good for the land, communities, or our flagging democracy. But if left without better options, we will do what we must. 

Key Deadlines and Next Steps 

• March 31, 2025: BLM and USFS to establish guidance for logging under Good Neighbor Authority, stewardship contracting, and the Tribal Forest Protection Act. 

• April 30, 2025: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Assistant Administrator for Fisheries to develop an expedited ESA review process for forest management projects. 

• May 30, 2025: Interior and USDA to set annual timber harvest targets. 

• June 29, 2025: FWS, BLM, and USFS to complete the Whitebark Pine Rangewide Programmatic Consultation under ESA Section 7. 

• August 28, 2025: Consideration of NEPA exemptions (categorical exclusions) to facilitate logging. 

• November 26, 2025: Commerce Department to report on the national security impacts of timber imports. 
• December 6, 2025: Interior to consider re-establishing NEPA exemptions for timber thinning and salvage logging. 

Our forests, wildlife, and communities depend on responsible stewardship, and we remain dedicated to ensuring their future. 

Follow updates from Conservation Northwest for public comment periods as new proposed rules emerge starting in late March.