President Trump has promised “drills, babies, drills.” Now he wants to log.
On Saturday, Trump directed federal agencies to look into ways to bypass endangered species species and other environmental regulations to enhance timber production on 280 million acres of national forests and other public lands.
The move appears to be aimed at increasing domestic supply as the president is considering tariffs on the import of wood from Canada, Germany, Brazil and other areas. Environmental groups say increased logging will destroy American forests, pollute the air and water, and destroy wildlife habitats.
Additionally, since wood absorbs and stores carbon dioxide, reducing greenhouse gases will return to the atmosphere and increase global warming.
“Trump's orders will unleash chainsaws and bulldozers in federal forests,” said Randy Spibach, director of public land policy at the Center for Biodiversity, an environmental group. “Clearing these beautiful places increases the risk of fire, drives species to extinction, pollute rivers and streams, and destroys world-class recreational sites,” she said.
As part of the executive order, Trump directed the Commerce Department to investigate whether other countries are dumping lumber in the US market. The investigation could cause tariffs in Canada, the leading supplier of wood to the US. According to the US International Trade Commission, in 2021, the US imported 46% of forest products and 13% from China. However, the country is also a timber exporter, sending $10 billion worth of forest products to Canada.
The companion order signed by Trump said that “stingy” federal policies prevent the United States from developing adequate timber supplies, increased housing and construction costs and national security threats.
Trump called for the convening of a committee of high-level officials, known as the God Squad. This is because it can override the Endangered Species Species Act for Landmarks and proceed even if developments and other projects could cause extinction.
The committee has rarely been convened since it was created in 1978 through an amendment to the Endangered Species Species Act, which allows action in emergencies such as hurricanes and wildfires.
Trump has also directed the Secretary of Agriculture and the Interior, as well as other officials, to look for ways to streamline regulations and reduce the costs of timber production and forest management.
The Endangered species law requires a thorough assessment to ensure that activities such as logging do not harm protected wildlife and their habitat. Bypassing that process has historically been reserved for small projects such as trail maintenance.
However, developers and the construction industry have complained that the system is burdensome. This adds the cost, a position supported by the Trump administration.
“Our miserable timber and timber policies — the legacy of previous administrations — cause wildfires and degrade fish and wildlife habitats,” Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing at the White House, told reporters Friday.
“They will lower the costs of construction and housing and poverty through the massive trade deficits that result from dumping exporters from Canada, Germany and Brazil into markets at the expense of both our economic prosperity and national security.”
Trump's plans follow recommendations found in Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint published by the Heritage Foundation.
They called for increased production of wood as a way to reduce the risk of wildfires.
Trump has repeatedly denounced forest maintenance in California's wildfires, including the recent flames that destroyed much of the Los Angeles area.
But scientists say climate-driven temperatures combined with drought have played a role in making wildfires even more destructive. They also say that thinning can reduce the cooling tint of forest canopies and change the microclimate of forests in ways that could increase wildfire strength.
Last week, Trump nominated former Lumber industry executive Tom Schultz to lead the Forest Service. The agency oversees approximately 193 million acres of national forests and public lands.
Heidi Bullock, chief executive of the American Forest Paper Association, which represents the paper and packaging industry, said the organization is reviewing Trump's orders. “We look forward to working with the administration to provide industry perspective and data on behalf of more than 925,000 American manufacturing jobs, represented by the forest product value chain,” she said in a statement.
The National Hardwood and Wood Association, a trading group, said Trump's order aims to encourage US manufacturing, but its members want to maintain sustainable management of forests.
“Ensuring a balance between economic growth and environmental management is important to maintaining forests as a renewable and well-managed resource for future generations,” the organization added that it is still evaluating Trump's order.
Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative president at Earthjustice, an environmental group, said the order threatens to bring the United States back to the 19th century.
“They don't hide the ball,” Miller McFeeley said.
“It's about trying to cut as many forests as possible to line up pockets of wood industry executives.”
