Fire biggest threat to old growth in Northwest

The Northwest Forest Plan was adopted in 1994 to protect old growth ecosystems and the northern spotted owl in particular. At that time, logging was seen as the greatest threat to the ecological resilience of the region.

A new study in Ecosystems, had identified wildfire as now the biggest threat to these resources. The large, old growth trees typically can survive lower intensity fires. Uncharacteristically large and hotter burning fires, driven by a changing climate and overstocked forests, threaten these old growth ecosystems.