The Honorable Blanche Lincoln, Chair
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
United States Senate
328-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Saxby Chambliss, Ranking Member
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
United States Senate
328-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Lincoln and Ranking Member Chambliss:

The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) represents the directors of forestry agencies from the fifty states, eight U.S. territories and associated states, and the District of Columbia. State Foresters have the primary responsibility for the restoration, management and protection of 2/3rds of the nation's forests (i.e. those outside federal ownership). We write today providing our unqualified endorsement of Mr. Harris Sherman's nomination for Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The nation's forests are a strategic national resource which can contribute to advancing national goals related to mitigating climate change, providing renewable energy and sourcing clean drinking water to homes across the country. At the same time, the nation's forests face threats related to insects and disease, conversion to non-forest uses, and damaging wildfires which put these benefits along with wildlife habitat, clean air, and others at risk. NASF shares Mr. Sherman's view that forests can contribute to making progress towards addressing the nation's conservation, climate change and renewable energy goals.

We hope you will join us in supporting Mr. Sherman's "holistic" approach to land conservation which integrates land management on both public and private working lands by confirming his appointment as Under Secretary of NRE. NASF is confidant Mr. Sherman will carry forward the Secretary's vision to restore, protect, and conserve the nation's forest land.

Sincerely,

Steven W. Koehn