How Obama can start to save planet Third, as part of a comprehensive strategy on preparing public lands for climate change Obama could direct the Forest Service and BLM to manage the nation's older forests for their role in carbon absorption and wildlife protection. Old-growth forests from the California redwoods to Alaska's rainforests soak up more carbon than any forests on Earth -- chiefly through their massive tree trunks and rich soils. When these magnificent forests are cut down, much of that carbon goes up into the atmosphere where it contributes to global warming. Forest management should recognize the unique role these forests play as a lifeline to a stable climate and for cleansing our air and water. Fourth, water is becoming increasingly scarce in the West as climate change triggers longer and more frequent droughts and life-giving snowpack declines. Places like the Yakima and Columbia rivers support imperiled wild salmon runs, are used for agricultural irrigation and will undoubtedly get drier as the climate changes. We would welcome help in improving fish access and reducing the demand for dangerously over-allocated water across the West by providing federal assistance to farmers practicing sound water conservation....