TAKE ACTION: Four Ways to Fight for Forests in February

Join us for a winter hike, an online event, and two important action opportunities to protect federal public lands

A bear nest in a stand targeted for logging in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Hike to Old Forests in Telephone Gap: February 22 at 11 am (weather date February 23), near Goshen, VT. Join us on a moderately strenuous, 4 - 5 mile round-trip hike with about 900 ft of elevation gain to a stand of old forest targeted by Telephone Gap logging project, and a rare stretch of permanently-protected old growth. Dress for the weather, wear warm boots, and know that snowshoes (or backcountry skis, if you are comfortable using them) will be necessary. We will have some extra snowshoes for those who would like to borrow a pair. RSVP here so that we can contact you about location, equipment sharing, conditions, and other updates.

Federal Public lands Round-Up: February 19th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Zoom. What does the future of federal public lands look like, one month into the Trump administration? Join Zack Porter of Standing Trees, Ella Devine of Earthrise Law Center, and other guests for updates on the Trump Administration's attacks on public lands, and what we are doing to protect these invaluable public resources. We’ll discuss the national situation and make connections to the Green and White Mountain National Forests, where Standing Trees is actively working to stop destructive and unnecessary logging projects. This event kicks off a multi-month educational series — later events will address logging’s impact on biodiversity, debunk common timber industry myths, and explore the profound impacts of forest management on flooding and water quality. RSVP for the February 19th session here.

Telephone Gap Logging Project: Send a letter to Vermont’s congressional delegation urging them to cancel the deeply unpopular Telephone Gap logging project in the Green Mountain National Forest. After a rally in which about 100 people turned out on a snowy day to tell the Forest Service to cancel Telephone Gap, and a final objection period in which over 90% of comments called for cancelling or seriously rolling back the project, we are now turning our focus to the Vermont Congressional Delegation. Feel free to use our template or personalize your letter to Vermont’s delegation — even if you have been in touch with the delegation before, it is great to reach out again.

Aerial photo of North Pond the Telephone Gap landscape. John Geery

Fix our Forests Act: We are joining 150 allied organizations in the Climate Forests Coalition to call on Senators across the country to oppose the Fix our Forests Act. This bill, which may be rushed through the Senate without committee hearings and testimony, allows dramatically-expanded logging on federal lands without environmental review or public input, under the misleading guise of addressing fires like the recent mega-fires in Los Angeles. You can use our template to send a letter to your Senators telling them to vote NO on this disastrous bill and support effective fire harm reduction strategies like home hardening, defensible spaces, better-planned development, and (of course!) climate action.