Dave Tenny joined Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund in a letter to the editor of USA Today discussing how best to conserve America’s growing private forests.
April 28, 2010
Dear Editor:
Doyle Rice’s article, “U.S. losing trees faster than other heavily forested nations,” paints a stark picture. What most Americans don’t realize is that of all the challenges our forests face — wildfires, invasive pests, climate change — one stands apart as being within our control: economics.
Nearly 60% of America’s forests are now privately owned – by families, businesses, nonprofits and individuals. These forests are lost a parcel at a time as they compete with other land uses that often produce greater economic returns. Recognizing that we’re at an economic crossroads is the first step toward conserving our forests.
Viable markets for wood products – whether in the form of wood for our homes, paper products we use every day, or new sources of renewable energy – give private landowners the resources and means to grow and retain America’s working forests and the many benefits they provide. To preserve and grow these markets, policy makers must foster an environment that allows responsibly managed forests to realize economic benefits from their forest at the same time they are filtering our water, cleaning our air, sheltering wildlife and providing places for us to enjoy the out-of-doors.
This approach will help keep our forests intact, help employ millions of people and maintain the benefits we so often take for granted. That’s a solution we can live with for another 100 years.
Sincerely,
Larry Selzer, President and CEO, The Conservation Fund
David Tenny, President and CEO, National Alliance of Forest Owners
Tags: Working Forests
