#oldgrowth — Public Fediverse posts

Press Release from @CenterForBioDiv

#BorderWall Construction Triggers Tree Sit to Save Ancient #Arizona #Cottonwood

For Immediate Release, July 29, 2026
Contact: Russ McSpadden,

LOCHIEL, Ariz.— "Protesters today climbed into an ancient cottonwood tree in Arizona’s #SanRafaelValley to stop the Trump administration from cutting it down for construction of two parallel 30-foot-tall border walls.

"The action comes after Department of Homeland Security contractors cut down three neighboring Fremont cottonwoods estimated to be 200 to 250 years old.

" 'Destroying these ancient cottonwoods is a death sentence for an entire ecosystem,' said Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'These magnificent cottonwoods survived centuries, nourishing wildlife through floods and drought, only to be bulldozed for the Trump administration’s disastrous border wall. The San Rafael Valley is one of the most biologically rich landscapes in North America. It’s both a refuge and crucial corridor for #jaguars, #ocelots, #BlackBears, #pronghorn and hundreds of bird species.'

Today’s action is believed to be the first tree sit aimed at stopping U.S. border wall construction.

"The three cottonwoods cut down earlier this week stood along a rare stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border where mature trees once formed a #transboundary canopy. The trees provided nesting habitat, shade and shelter within an increasingly scarce riparian #ecosystem that supports hundreds of animal species. One #protester was arrested Monday while trying to protect those trees and nesting #MigratoryBirds .

"Federal officials said preconstruction surveys would be conducted during Arizona’s active #nesting season, but observers at the site reported that no surveys for nesting migratory birds were completed before the trees were destroyed.

"The area also contains prehistoric #ArchaeologicalSites that preserve evidence of thousands of years of #Indigenous presence in the borderlands. Ongoing construction threatens cultural resources that would be permanently lost if disturbed.

"The Department of Homeland Security is constructing the #BorderWall under authorities that waive dozens of the nation’s cornerstone environmental and cultural resource protection laws, allowing construction to proceed without reviews normally required under laws including the National Environmental Policy Act, the #EndangeredSpecies Act and the National #HistoricPreservation Act.

"In a letter sent today to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Center called for an immediate halt to construction in the #Lochiel area. The letter urged the agencies to conduct comprehensive biological and cultural resource surveys, consult with Tribes with ancestral and cultural connections to the San Rafael Valley, protect the remaining ancient cottonwoods, and assess the ecological and cultural resources at risk."

Source [includes link to materials]:
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/border-wall-construction-triggers-tree-sit-to-save-ancient-arizona-cottonwood-2026-07-29/

#OldGrowth #NestingBirds #USPo #TrumpsBorderWall #RespectTheTreaties #LandBack #IndigenousCulture #ProtectTheSacred
#CulturalGenocide #EndangeredSpecies #TreeSitters

#TreeSitters Saving #OldGrowth #Cottonwoods : #Arizona #BorderWall #Resistance

Border Wall Construction Destroying Cottonwoods, 'Green Ribbon' Running Through the Desert

By #BrendaNorrell, #CensoredNews, August 4, 2026

#LochielAZ -- "Day 6 at #GrandmotherCamp, there was no border wall construction since the tree sit began last Wednesday in this rich landscape. The cottonwood trees are the nesting place of #MigratoryBirds, including the rare #YellowBilledCuckoo.

" 'We've lost three grandmothers that took 250 years to grow. They were obliterated by the monstrous machinations in four hours,' Kate said on Monday from the tree sit in Lochiel, about 25 miles east of Nogales, southeast of Tucson.

" 'But I just saw a Yellow-billed #Cuckoo, federally threatened crying over this beautiful meadow.'

" 'This remaining Grandmother, that threatened bird -- we remain hopeful that our efforts here on the ground will be met with thoughtful reasonable conversation and a new direction for Lochiel community,' Kate said.

" 'This remaining Grandmother represents hope and resistance.' "

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/08/tree-sitters-saving-old-growth.html

#USPol #BorderWall #TrumpSucks #TrumpsBorderWall #RespectTheTreaties #LandBack #IndigenousCulture #ProtectTheSacred #CulturalGenocide #EndangeredSpecies

Mapping Multifunctionality In Remote Patagonian Forest Landscapes Reveals High-Value Ecosystems Beyond Protected Areas
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03515-x <-- shared paper
--
H/T @Peter Potapov | Researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI)
“This paper is] a strong example of multifunctionality analysis applied to conservation planning. The study mapped six ecosystem functions, including carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity. [The author] combined satellite data, field soil sampling, and spatial modeling for this comprehensive analysis.
Two findings stand out.
1. Old-growth forests had the highest multifunctionality index of any land cover type.
2. 78.5% of the top multifunctionality hotspots fall outside the region's protected areas, even though PAs already cover more than 54% of the territory.
Together, these results make a clear case for expanding conservation of the remaining Intact Forest Landscapes and primary forests in Patagonia and elsewhere…”
--
“Remote forest landscapes provide critical references for understanding ecosystem functions (EFs) under low anthropogenic pressure, yet their capacity to sustain multiple EFs simultaneously remains poorly understood. [They] assessed landscape multifunctionality in western Patagonia by integrating satellite indicators, field data, and spatial modeling. Six EFs (carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity) were mapped, and their spatial relationships and hotspot distribution within and outside protected areas (PAs) were analyzed. Old-growth and secondary forests showed the highest functional performance. Strong synergies (ρ ≥ 0.6) between carbon storage and nutrient availability covered >50% of the landscape, whereas strong trade-offs (ρ ≤ –0.6) were spatially limited ( < 6%). Notably, 78% of multifunctionality hotspots occurred outside PAs, indicating that high-functional-value areas extend beyond formal conservation boundaries. These findings reveal spatial mismatches between multifunctionality and protection status and provide a replicable framework for integrating multifunctionality into conservation planning under global change…”
#Patagonia #chile #aysen #coyhaique #landcover #mapping #spatial #spatialpatterns #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #forest #vegetation #oldgrowth #secondgrowth #shrubland #grassland #steppe #ecosystem #habitat #nutrients #water #hydrology #erosion #multifunctionality #multifunctionalityanalysis #protectedareas #landuse #conservationplanning #conservation #ecology #carbonstorage #nutrientavailability #waterregulation #erosioncontrol #habitatquality #ecologicalconnectivity #remotesensing #satellite #earthobservation #modeling

Mapping Multifunctionality In Remote Patagonian Forest Landscapes Reveals High-Value Ecosystems Beyond Protected Areas
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03515-x <-- shared paper
--
H/T @Peter Potapov | Researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI)
“This paper is] a strong example of multifunctionality analysis applied to conservation planning. The study mapped six ecosystem functions, including carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity. [The author] combined satellite data, field soil sampling, and spatial modeling for this comprehensive analysis.
Two findings stand out.
1. Old-growth forests had the highest multifunctionality index of any land cover type.
2. 78.5% of the top multifunctionality hotspots fall outside the region's protected areas, even though PAs already cover more than 54% of the territory.
Together, these results make a clear case for expanding conservation of the remaining Intact Forest Landscapes and primary forests in Patagonia and elsewhere…”
--
“Remote forest landscapes provide critical references for understanding ecosystem functions (EFs) under low anthropogenic pressure, yet their capacity to sustain multiple EFs simultaneously remains poorly understood. [They] assessed landscape multifunctionality in western Patagonia by integrating satellite indicators, field data, and spatial modeling. Six EFs (carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity) were mapped, and their spatial relationships and hotspot distribution within and outside protected areas (PAs) were analyzed. Old-growth and secondary forests showed the highest functional performance. Strong synergies (ρ ≥ 0.6) between carbon storage and nutrient availability covered >50% of the landscape, whereas strong trade-offs (ρ ≤ –0.6) were spatially limited ( < 6%). Notably, 78% of multifunctionality hotspots occurred outside PAs, indicating that high-functional-value areas extend beyond formal conservation boundaries. These findings reveal spatial mismatches between multifunctionality and protection status and provide a replicable framework for integrating multifunctionality into conservation planning under global change…”
#Patagonia #chile #aysen #coyhaique #landcover #mapping #spatial #spatialpatterns #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #forest #vegetation #oldgrowth #secondgrowth #shrubland #grassland #steppe #ecosystem #habitat #nutrients #water #hydrology #erosion #multifunctionality #multifunctionalityanalysis #protectedareas #landuse #conservationplanning #conservation #ecology #carbonstorage #nutrientavailability #waterregulation #erosioncontrol #habitatquality #ecologicalconnectivity #remotesensing #satellite #earthobservation #modeling

Boo hiss! If I were Biden, I'd be passing all sort of stuff -- and freeing #LeonardPelltier!

#Biden administration withdraws #OldGrowth #forest plan after getting pushback from industry and GOP

https://apnews.com/article/biden-old-growth-forests-climate-change-e365debe64acf791f16de2ce75cb9342
#USPol #SaveTheForests #FreeLeonardPeltier #GrowABackboneJoe

#MonochromeMonday

This is not progress.
This is not civilized.
We need to protect remaining #OldGrowth #AncientForests. They're our 2nd largest #CarbonSinks - after the giant kelp forests in the oceans. #Clearcutting forests should be banned.

#WorthMoreStanding #SaveOldGrowth #StopDeforestation #StopEcocide #StopClearcuts #BritishColumbia #VancouverIsland #BCNDP #BCNewDeathParty #BCNDPLegacyoOfDeath #Ecocide #PacificNorthwest #photography #WorldInMyEyes #DisabledPhotographer #Backroads #VanIsle #Cascadia #PNW #Stumps #ProtectNature #ProtectForests #environmental #ClimateAction #CorporateGreed #GreedKills #HumanDestruction

"The increasing severity of #wildfires and #drought highlights that reforming #ForestStewardship – taking better care of the forests, including safeguarding #OldGrowthForests – is one of our best hopes to protect communities across B.C.

Harmful #forestry practices like #clearcutting and #unsustainable #IndustrialLogging make extreme heat and wildfires worse. #Clearcuts are #tinderboxes, more prone to creating embers because dead trees and branches dry out in the hot sun and become more #flammable. Tree plantations and improperly tended young forests also increase wildfire risk: Younger trees have thinner bark and low-hanging branches that can act as ladder fuels, and the trees are often planted too close together, making it easy for fire to spread.

Fortunately, intact and properly managed #forests are more resilient to the worsening wildfires and heatwaves. For example, #OldGrowth #rainforests have dense canopies which provide cooling shade that resists fire. They are cooler and wetter than young forests, acting as giant sponges. Old-growth trees in the drier interior have thick bark, high branches and are widely spaced which all reduce #WildfireRisk.

#SierraClubBC #BCpoli #StopEcocide #BritishColumbia #Environmental #SaveOldGrowth #ClimateCrisis #BCNDP #BanCorporateLobbyists #Wildfires #floods #ClimateEmergency #BCwildfires #BCfloods #NaturalDisasters #ClimateMitigation #StopDeforestation #JustStopOil #DoTheRightThing #OneEarth #BCForestryReform

It supported Veery and Wood Thrush but now the #ForestService wants to create young forest by #clearcutting 3,500 ares of #EcologicallyMature and #OldGrowth #forest.

Thank you for highlighting the #UpperCheatRiver project that is #clearcutting #OldGrowth #forest, just like other #ForestService projects in the East. e.g. the #TelephoneGap project. #WorthMoreStanding
---
RT @kswild
Last week, KS Wild's Forest & Climate Coordinator, Alexi Lovechio, and activists from across the country met in Washington DC to advocate for mature and old-growth forest protections on all federal lands! 🌲🌲🌲
@Earthjustice
@Pot…
https://twitter.com/kswild/status/1639056343079452672

This especially #climate destroying method of #clearcutting our #ClimateForests is proposed by the F.S. for the mature and #OldGrowth #forest in the #UpperCheatRiver project.
---
RT @WV4PublicLands
Areas in the Mon Forest will be closed at the end of the month due to helicopter logging operations.

https://wvmetronews.com/2023/03/16/logging-operation-to-close-parts-of-national-forest-to-public-at-months-end/
https://twitter.com/WV4PublicLands/status/1636719664620249088

#Canada ranks 3rd globally for #OldGrowth #forest loss, behind #Russia & #Brazil .
..home to a $34 billion #forestry #industry
...according to an #investigation by #CBCNews , #ICIJ ’s media partner, #Canadian #politicians #lobbied #lawmakers in #NewYorkState to #amend a bill aimed to prevent #NY from buying products linked to #deforestation or forest #degradation . The bill, originally called #NewYork #DeforestationFreeProcurementAct was introduced in early 2021.

https://www.icij.org/investigations/deforestation-inc/deforestation-inc-reporters-checked-global-promises-to-end-forest-loss-this-is-what-they-found/

Clear cuts in the East seem to create Fire Hazzard . What is the @ForestSevice thinking in #clearcutting #OldGrowth #forest, some > 200 years old, to create fire hazards?