OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) reported that scientists are warning the public about forest destruction across the country. 

Forests are burning from wildfire and losing their ability to absorb carbon as they become older, according to a new U.S. Department of Agriculture report. 

"Healthy, managed forests, with vigorously growing trees, remove carbon from the atmosphere while simultaneously helping to prevent forest fires from becoming catastrophic," said Jason Spadaro, the executive director for WFPA. "Data shows that unmanaged forests remove carbon slower and experience three times the mortality, making them more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire which can release millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in just one fire event."

Some counties in Washington are implementing a hands-off approach to forest management, but are not looking at science and data, Spadaro said. 

"According to the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis data, this has resulted in 29 million dead trees standing in King County alone, about 10 for every person in the county," said Spadaro. "Private landowners manage their forests responsibly for health and growth. In contrast, 70 percent of the annual growth in unmanaged federal forests statewide is dying due to decay and disease. To absorb more carbon, forests need to be healthy and growing and made less vulnerable to insects, disease, and wildfires. A hands-off approach is misguided and ultimately unhealthy for us all when forests burn catastrophically."  

The WFPA announced that carbon in harvested trees remains in wood throughout a product's lifespan, turning homes, furniture, infrastructure, and other timber products into carbon vaults.