Calls current bill unworkable for forest owners
WASHINGTON, DC (June 11, 200) – The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) submitted a statement today to the House Committee on Agriculture outlining the significant benefits of working forests to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), and how Congress could maximize the contributions of working forests if specific changes are made to climate change legislation currently pending in Congress.
David P. Tenny, President and CEO of NAFO, said, “Private working forests should be our front line for reducing GHGs. The fact that responsibly managed forests play a critical role in removing carbon from the atmosphere is beyond dispute both domestically and internationally. Congress must recognize this in legislation and allow for vibrant markets that will tap the full potential of these forests. Unfortunately, the Waxman-Markey legislation (H.R. 2454) falls far short of this important objective, which is why we are urging Congress to craft the legislation so our private forests can make their full contribution to the climate change solution.”
NAFO reminded the Committee, “Comprehensive climate change legislation should capture the key role forests and forest products serve in sequestering and storing carbon as necessary to the ultimate success of any national approach toward reducing greenhouse gases. Offsets generated from forest management activities are critical to the successful implementation of a cap and trade system, such as the one in H.R. 2454. EPA recently estimated that without an international offsets program that includes forestry, the cost of allowances under the Waxman-Markey discussion draft would increase 96 percent. NAFO maintains that a vigorous domestic offset system incorporating forests and harvested wood products is equally important to achieving the dual goals of reducing greenhouse gases and realizing cost containment for industry and consumers.”
NAFO recommended the following four changes to H.R. 2454 that would further reduce atmospheric GHGs while achieving cost containment:
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture should serve the key role with respect to agricultural and forestry offset projects.
- Climate change legislation must identify eligible offset projects at the outset.
- Offset provisions should ensure early offset availability.
- Environmental considerations should focus first on overall reductions of atmospheric carbon and not create unnecessary barriers for sectors like forestry to participation in an offset program.
###
NAFO is an organization of private forest owners committed to promoting federal policies that protect the economic and environmental values of privately-owned forests at the national level. NAFO membership encompasses more than 74 million acres of private forestland in 47 states.
Tags: climate
