In a hearing today held by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Wyoming State Forester Bill Crapser testified in support of the America’s Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration (ARCS) Act.
America’s trees and forests are a strategic national resource with vast potential as solutions for climate change, public health, and economic challenges. Active forest management maximizes the carbon benefits of forests and is vital to keeping forested landscapes working for us as carbon sinks, instead of carbon emitters.
Our nation’s forests and rangelands, face many serious challenges to their health and viability, including catastrophic wildfire and insect and disease outbreaks. This bipartisan legislation will go a long way to help land managers address these challenges and capitalize on existing opportunities. The ARCS Act will strengthen our forests and rangelands through thoughtful and coordinated afforestation and reforestation efforts, expanded opportunities for wildfire mitigation projects, and responsible timber salvage. NASF is encouraged by the introduction of the bipartisan ARCS Act and extends its thanks to Senators Manchin and Barrasso for their continued leadership on forestry legislation. We look forward to working with our federal partners to implement this legislation.
To read the written testimony in full, click the link below. This hearing was broadcast and archived here.