The old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest have long mesmerized and sustained us. They have provided for native peoples, sheltered thousands of plants and animals, cleansed our rivers and streams and given us a sense of the grandeur of nature.

What do old-growth forests provide?

Clean Water
Habitat
Recreation
Carbon Storage
Sense of Place

Clean Water

Big trees mean big roots. And big roots mean stable soils. Older and mature trees gather nutrients from the soil, but they also keep the soil where it is. Large roots systems and supported vegetation prevent mudslides and run-off that can damage water quality in the thousands of miles of streams that wind their way through the Northwest. Unlogged and undeveloped forests keep drinking water safe and clean for dozens of municipalities throughout the region. Follow this link to learn more about how lots of trees means lots of clean water.

Habitat

The iconic species of the Northwest depend on old-growth forests for food, shelter and other resources. Put simply, without old growth salmon, spotted owls and many other species that are part of the Northwest's natural heritage would not be able to survive. Find out more about the habitat that old-growth forests provide.

Recreation

From the Sitka Spruce coasts to the Ponderosa stands east of the Cascades, old-growth forests are home to the best outdoor recreation locales in the region. Whether you're hiking next to a millennium-old tree, camping in a pocket of cedars as wide as your tent, hunting in the prime elk habitat of a mature forest or fishing for steelhead along a shaded stream, old-growth has made your outdoor experience possible. More about old-growth and outdoor recreation.

Carbon Storage

Global climate change is perhaps the greatest current threat to the health of our planet. Human caused carbon emissions have led to all sorts of consequences for natural cycles, including impacts on Northwest forests. Luckily, by protecting the old-growth we have left and managing our forests to create more old growth, we can help slow global warming. Find out more about how big trees are the best global warming warriors we have.

Sense of Place

Setting aside the multitude of ecological and economical arguments for protecting old growth, there is one more factor, perhaps more compelling than all: The Northwest wouldn't be the Northwest without old-growth forests.

The natural beauty of our region is inseparable from the big trees that still blanket much of the landscape. If we let the old growth we have left fall under the chainsaw, we will forever lose an essential piece of our region. Today's forests are not ours to exploit, they are on loan to us from future generations. We must make good on this loan and ensure that our grandchildren will have the chance to marvel at a giant Douglas Fir swaying in the wind.