Dear Family Forest Advocate:

This week, Members of Congress are at home, working in their districts and states. Now is the perfect time to weigh in with them in person on important improvements for family forest owners needed in the climate legislation moving through the House.

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed climate change legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (HR 2454), resulting in a complex 900 plus -page bill that has a lot of nuances affecting family forest owners. 

The good news is that the current language doesn't preclude the possibility of family forest owner participation in carbon offset markets under the cap and trade system. However the bill still leaves quite a bit of discretion to the Environmental Protection Agency in determining the extent of forest participation in these markets.

Other good news, thanks to efforts of Congressional champions Ross (D-AR), Stupak (D-MI), Space (D-OH), Butterfield (D-NC), Welch (D-VT), and Walden (R-OR), more biomass from family forests can be used to meet renewable energy goals set in the bill. While the language could still be improved, it has come a long way.  

The bad news is that the Committee failed to provide other incentives for U.S. forest owners (outside of the carbon-offset markets) to increase carbon-storage capacity in forests that don't fit into offset markets. These incentives are essential for family forest owners whose lands may be too small to participate in carbon-offset markets but still offer significant carbon mitigation benefits. Unfortunately, the legislation does provide such incentives for international forest projects, but leaves out U.S. forest owners.

We need your help to improve this legislation for family forest owners!

Today, the American Forest Foundation released a new report, outlining the role of America's family forests in mitigating climate change and the policy priorities we need to fully capture the carbon benefits of U.S. family forests. Please take a look and feel free to share with your networks, your elected officials, and media contacts.
  
If your Representative is on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, now is the time to thank them for their leadership in improving the legislation.  Better yet, thank them publicly via a letter to your local paper. If you'd like help crafting a letter to the editor, contact me at rneznek@forestfoundation.org and we'll provide sample letters.

If your Representative is not on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, they need to hear from you too-to make sure federal climate change legislation is workable for family forests!

Click here and you'll be directed to sample letters and talking points that you can use in your communications. Again-in person is best-if you have time to meet with them over the next few days, set something up. If not, print off a letter by clicking above, and mail it to them (mailed letter is better for this purpose, rather than email message).

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Rita Neznek
Vice President, Public Affairs
American Forest Foundation
rneznek@forestfoundation.org