The nation’s 59 state and territorial foresters applaud President Joe Biden for taking action to utilize forests for climate change mitigation. For more than a century, partnerships have been at the heart of state forestry agencies’ work to conserve and protect our nation’s forests. Today, that work includes enhancing the capacity of America’s forests to sequester carbon, produce renewable fuels, and mitigate the effects of climate change.
State Forest Action Plans are the perfect guides for charting the priority areas the president’s Civilian Climate Corps Initiative could tackle first. These plans contain in-depth analysis of forest conditions and trends in every state, across all ownership boundaries, and offer practical and comprehensive roadmaps for investing federal, state, local, and private resources where they can be most effective.
State foresters stand ready to work with the Biden-Harris administration to create and maintain forests nationwide that are resilient to the threats exacerbated by climate change, including infestations, wildfire, and extreme drought. With bold leadership and continued collaboration, we are confident America’s forests can be our country’s greatest carbon solution.