Washington, DC – The National Alliance of Forest Owners released the following statement on Secretary Vilsack’s announcement of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities.
We applaud USDA’s support for the climate benefits that private working forests provide. Through the new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, the administration can empower forest owners to use voluntary measures to achieve the greatest positive climate impact possible.
Private working forests account for nearly 75 percent of gross annual carbon sequestration by U.S. forests – more than the total annual emissions from U.S. passenger vehicles. In addition, private working forests are the largest forest carbon storage pool, accounting for 54% of the total U.S. forest carbon storage pool. Forest carbon stored in harvested wood products – used in houses, furniture, and in wood infrastructure projects – creates another carbon storage pool that is more than double the amount of carbon in all U.S. national parks.
Forest owners need healthy markets and high-quality data, so they can keep working forests working and continuing to provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and good paying jobs in rural communities. We look forward to working with the USDA to further advance the natural climate solutions found in private working forests.
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The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) is a national advocacy organization committed to advancing federal policies that ensure our working forests provide clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat and jobs through sustainable practices and strong markets. NAFO member companies own and sustainably manage more than 46 million acres of private working forests – forests that are managed to provide a steady supply of timber. NAFO’s membership also includes state and national associations representing tens of millions of additional acres. Private working forests in the U.S. support 2.5 million jobs. Private working forests – which provide 90% of our timber harvest for wood and fiber – also account for nearly three-quarters of our total gross forest carbon sequestration and over half of our forest carbon storage. Learn more at nafoalliance.org.| @NAFO_Forests
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