The Pacific Northwest holds a special distinction in the United States for its clusters of biodiverse forests and vast wildernesses. Those natural wonders just may serve as a key component when it comes to fighting climate change, according to a study released in Nature on Tuesday. Oregon scientists called for the establishment of a “strategic forest reserves” plan meant to protect places like the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, where trees have been storing carbon for centuries. Researchers found that protecting forests from damaging activities like logging provides a double-whammy of sorts. Logging emissions are up to seven times worse than that of wildfires, so banning the practice altogether automatically drives down the release of greenhouse gasses. And leaving trees in pristine condition allows for forests to store more carbon from the atmosphere. Many older forests are able to store more carbon in their soil, plants, and trees than young forests. They also provide the perfect ecosystem for threatened animals like gray wolves and Canadian lynx. Researchers believe an indefinite ban on logging, mining, and grazing may be the key to preserving these lands. “The key to this is that it needs to be permanent.” Oregon State University Professor Emeritus Beverly Law told Oregon Public Radio. “That means you’re going to keep the carbon there. You’re not going to cut the forest. The high carbon density forests are mature and older forest.” Much of the forests critical to this mission are on federal land, which means the federal government must take action. Scientists suggested federal and tribal governments and private landowners work together to enact protective measures. Were these lands to be protected, they would also help the U.S. meet its goal of protecting 30% of its land and water by 2030. According to Protected Planet, which maps such areas around the world, the U.S. has currently protected about 13% of its land and 19% of its water. A majority of that protected area falls under federal and state jurisdiction. Just 2.3% of that is made up of private parcels while Indigenous leaders control less than one 1% of protected land and water. This points to the inequality and systemic disenfranchisement of Native Americans—something that could be remedied to a certain extent by rightfully returning more land to Indigenous groups. Read more