Read the Mongabay commmentary by Wild Heritage’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala on the failure of the Forest Service’s National Old-Growth Amendment (NOGA), a mised opportunity for forest conservation. DellaSala highlights how the NOGA exemplifies a “nothing-burger,” receiving attention but achieving little in terms of meaningful forest protections. Despite President Biden’s executive order to inventory mature and old-growth forests for conservation purposes and his commitment to ending deforestation under the Glasgow Declaration, NOGA failed to protect even one forested acre. Key issues included delays over defining old growth, timber industry rebranding logging as a forest health solution, biased threat assessments by federal agencies, and a lack of unity among conservation groups. This paralysis and division resulted in a weak policy, leaving old forests vulnerable to logging under the guise of management. To move forward, DellaSala emphasizes that conservation efforts must unify around bold strategies, focusing on proforestation and responsible forest stewardship. Agencies should redirect “active management” efforts to degraded areas while halting commercial logging in old forests. Independent scientific assessments can help monitor changes and ensure protection. Only through collective action and a clear vision can the fight for our forests’ future succeed in the face of political and industrial pressures.