In official comments sent to the USDA, the National Association of State Foresters responded to the Executive Order “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”
America’s trees and forests are a strategic national resource with vast potential as solutions for climate change, public health, and economic challenges. Wildland fire is a national crisis – bold action is needed to sustain forests, protect public safety, and prevent the conversion of forests from carbon sinks to carbon emission sources. Active forest management, supported by forest markets, combined with coordinated wildfire prevention, mitigation, and suppression efforts can substantially mitigate the effects of climate change.
For more than a century, state forestry agencies have partnered with the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) to deliver professional forest management and protection across complex landscapes. With greater federal support, state foresters can leverage more state resources and local partnerships to achieve accelerated forest management and wildland fire outcomes on all lands.
NASF stands ready to work with this administration in providing the forestry leadership our country needs. America’s forests are a strategic national asset, renewable resource, and climate change solution that face an array of threats. State forestry agencies are in a unique position to help guide the development of the policies and programs we can use to address these threats from the national level to the grassroots. Please do not hesitate to call on us. In response to USDA’s request for stakeholder input we offer the following recommendations:
Click below to read the comments in full.