In the fight against climate change, forests are key. Aside from transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy, the conservation, restoration and stewardship of forests should be our highest priority.
Forests store more carbon per acre than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet; they need to be the nation’s first line of climate change defense.
The creation of a Forest Carbon Reserve would be an essential part of any future Green New Deal. It would result in a substantial reduction in, and avoidance of, carbon emissions from forest degradation and fossil fuel production, would be integral to a broader green jobs program.
Read MoreIndustrial forestry is a set of techniques aimed at producing as much commercially valuable timber per acre as quickly as possible.
Most of North America’s largest timber companies are wedded to a model of intensive, industrial forestry that is far from climate friendly. We need to reward long-rotation, lower-impact logging if we are serious about tackling climate change.
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Maria Cantwell today introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2018. The Act would permanently codify the Roadless Rule, which safeguards 58.5 million acres of pristine National Forest System lands across 39 states…
The House today failed to pass the 2018 farm bill, though Republicans are vowing to pick the highly partisan legislation up again next week under a motion to reconsider. The bill includes a host of troubling provisions, including weakening the SNAP…
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Republicans today released the FY2019 farm bill. The bill weakens the SNAP anti-hunger program and includes provisions undermining bedrock environmental safeguards for clean water, wildlife and forests.
OAKLAND, CA -- At least 21 people have died as wildfires continue to burn across northern California.
Today, the House Agriculture Committee passed Rep. Westerman’s “Resilient Federal Forests Act,” a piece of legislation that would make clear-cutting forests significantly easier and undermine environmental review. Movement on the legislation follows…