Time for Conservation Voices
On January 27, President Biden issued Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, a multi-pronged order that moves us toward policies that will build resilience against the impacts of climate change.
Your Comments Needed
The comment period is open for section 216b of the order, which asks the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) to gather input on developing, "...climate-smart agricultural and forestry practices that decrease wildfire risk fueled by climate change and result in additional, measurable, and verifiable carbon reductions and sequestration..."
Defend our Forests
Forests store massive amounts of carbon from the atmosphere; they provide clean air and water, encourage biodiversity, and provide habitat connectivity to help wildlife adapt to a changing climate.
Talking Points
---> Ask the USDA to adopt management policies that keep national forests intact, reduce carbon emissions, increase carbon sequestration potential, and consider the impact of climate change.
HERE is a good resource with information about forests and climate to help support your comments.
In October 2020, Alaska petitioned the Trump administration for their own roadless rule to exempt the Tongass National Forest (home to the largest remaining stands of old-growth trees) to open it up to commercial timber harvest. This would require construction of a network of roads in pristine forest to accommodate logging.
Though the Biden administration called a temporary halt to this action, we must tell the USDA to stand firm on the Rule to protect this and other carbon-capturing roadless areas.
Roadless areas provide important ecological benefits:
- Clean water and healthy watersheds
- Habitat for threatened and endangered species
- Large, undisturbed intact areas enhance biodiversity and provide wildlife freedom of movement, migration corridors, and room for flora and fauna to adapt to a changing climate.
