How much of the forest is going to be affected? What types and sizes of trees will be thinned?
There are approximately 90 million trees measuring 20-30 inches in diameter in the Sierra Nevada. We estimate that about 180,000, or 0.2%, will be removed each year. Forest Service biologists, foresters, and other specialists work closely to determine what types and sizes of trees will be removed, based on the requirements of each local forest. Trees 30 inches and over in diameter will be protected. Annual growth in the 11 Sierra Nevada National Forests is estimated at about 1.5 billion board feet, the equivalent of about 3 million 24″ diameter trees. These changes propose to cut less than a quarter of what is growing each year.
