There is a misconception that cutting down an old tree will result in a net release of carbon. Yet wooden furniture made in the Elizabethan era still holds the carbon fixed hundreds of years ago.
Berman, a veteran of the forestry protest movement, should by now have learned that young forests outperform old growth in carbon sequestration.
Although old trees contain huge amounts of carbon, their rate of sequestration has slowed to a near halt. A young tree, although it contains little fixed carbon, pulls CO2 from the atmosphere at a much faster rate.
When a tree rots or burns, the carbon contained in the wood is released back to the atmosphere. Since combustion releases carbon, active forest management — such as removing dead trees and clearing debris from the forest floor — will be imperative in reducing the number and intensity of fires.
—From Patric Moore interview
I wonder is they are going to address any of the density issues in the Sierras. In the Los Padres forest there are so few pines that it is a diferent situation.
My post on how the sierra club is destroying our forests:
http://www.ojaipost.com/2007/07/tahoe_residents_seethe_at_gree_1.shtml

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