Washington, DC (Dec. 18) – AMERICAN FORESTS, with twenty years of experience pioneering reforestation projects for their carbon benefits, strongly supports agreements emerging from the United Nation’s climate change negotiations in Copenhagen to address global emissions from deforestation.
“Deforestation which currently accounts for about 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is especially acute in developing countries, must be addressed head on,”
said AMERICAN FORESTS’ Executive Director Deborah Gangloff. “That’s why Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement in Copenhagen that the U.S. will contribute $1 billion to reduce emissions from deforestation is so important and so welcome. The framework and funding being developed in Copenhagen can provide cost-effective emission reductions while protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable development.”
AMERICAN FORESTS also supports provisions to address deforestation in developing countries in climate change legislation being considered by the U.S. Congress. The House-passed bill and the Senate’s Boxer-Kerry bill both provide support for international offset projects for carbon markets and incentives to protect forests.
The Washington, DC-based organization is also a strong advocate for legislation recognizing the importance of restoring and sustaining forests in the U.S. for their carbon benefits as well as their other environmental, social, and economic services. American Forests’ major role in climate change advocacy is to promote opportunities for reforestation and tree-planting. Significant planting opportunities exist on public lands damaged by wildfires, marginal crop and pasture lands, and in urban areas, where strategically placed trees can provide energy conservation and carbon benefits.
According to AMERICAN FORESTS, effective U.S. policies will include:
- Forest-sector projects in emerging carbon-offset markets
- Incentives for forest landowners to take actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change, especially those less able to participate in the new carbon markets;
- Adaptation programs that will provide research, technical assistance, tools and funding to help communities and landowners take actions to address the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
“We are confident that the U.S. Congress can and will pass climate change legislation that will help to prevent land-use changes that would destroy or degrade forests both at home and abroad, as well as provisions to restore and enhance our forests for carbon and other benefits,” said Gerry Gray, AMERICAN FORESTS’ Vice President for Policy.
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