Mr. S. Richard Fedrizzi President, CEO & Founding Chairman U.S. Green Building Council 2101 L Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20037
Dear Mr. Fedrizzi:
On behalf of the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), I am writing to share our views about the revision of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. Specifically, State Foresters urge USGBC to revise LEED standards, benchmarks, and credits to clearly:
ORIGIN OF RESOLUTION: NASF Forest Resource Management Committee
ISSUE OF CONCERN: Forests can play a significantly larger role in providing a sustainable, low carbon fuel source to meet the nation's renewable energy goals.
ORIGIN OF RESOLUTION: NASF Forest Resource Management Committee
ISSUE OF CONCERN: Backyard Woods Initiative
BACKGROUND: Built upon the NACD Backyard Conservation Program, a Backyard Woods Program has been initiated by the USDA Forest Service to help bring "the rural forestry message to town." Targeted to landowners with less than ten acres of land, the program is intended to support healthy wooded habitat on private backyards through application of accepted forestry principles.
ORIGIN OF RESOLUTION: NASF Forest Resource Management Committee
ISSUE OF CONCERN: Forest Stewardship Plans when combined with effective technical assistance delivery systems can promote the establishment and perpetuation of planted forests as an integral part of healthy and productive forest ecosystems that achieve national goals for renewable energy while potentially offsetting pressures on native forests.
The 2010-2014 SFI Standard development process will begin in June 2008 with a 60-day open comment period on the current 2005-2009 SFI Standard. All parts of the Standard will be open for comment.
A group of researchers led by Purdue University has begun to sample data for a planned 100-year study designed to develop better forest management methods and measure how such practices affect resident plant and animal species. Results will inform a decision support tool to help people like forest managers and landowners predict the likely effects of specific management decisions. More information is available online at http://www.HEEForestStudy.org
