SAF Supports the Trillion Trees Act
May 13, 2021
Along with several of our partners, SAF recently offered its support for Representative Westerman’s new Trillion Trees Act, which focuses on regeneration, management, and utilization. The quote below from SAF CEO Terry Baker was included in a recent press release from the House Natural Resources Committee.
"The time is ripe to embrace forest management and forest products as powerful climate solutions and strong drivers of economic growth for communities of all sizes. With science-based, professional management, we can maximize the power of our nation’s forests to sequester and store carbon – all while improving our air and water, creating wildlife habitat, offering recreation opportunities, and producing climate-friendly forest products. As the only forester in Congress, Representative Westerman understands the science of keeping our forests healthy and thriving for generations to come. SAF is proud to support the Trillion Trees Act and hopes it can empower and inspire current and future forestry professionals." - Terry Baker, CEO, Society of American Foresters
What other partner organizations are saying:
"The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) applauds Representative Bruce Westerman’s (R-Ark.) reintroduction of the Trillion Trees Act and its recognition of forests and forest markets as environmental and economic solutions. Healthy forests not only built America, they are our best natural strategy for overcoming future challenges. But to have healthy forests, we need healthy markets. Forests, balanced forest management, and forest markets should be included in any proposed climate change solution." - Joe Fox, president, National Association of State Foresters
"We thank Ranking Member Westerman and the bipartisan cosponsors for their efforts to advance forests and forest products as natural climate solutions. Private working forests provide ninety percent of our wood and fiber for forest products while also accounting for seventy-five percent of the net annual carbon sequestration from all U.S. forests. This powerful combination underscores the need for smart climate solutions that use the power of markets to promote investments in private working forests and wood utilization based on the best available science and data. The Trillion Trees Act takes some important steps in that direction. We look forward to working with Ranking Member Westerman and his colleagues to harness the full carbon mitigation potential of private working forests and wood products." - National Alliance of Forest Owners
"Not only is the Trillion Trees Act an important step towards recognizing the valuable contributions our public and private forest systems make to carbon sequestration; it is also an essential recognition of the significant long-term carbon storage benefits resulting from the vast array of wood products made from the sustainably harvested timber that comes from U.S. working forests." - Dana Cole, executive director, the Hardwood Federation
"The Forest Resources Association would like to thank Congressman Westerman for his efforts to promote trees and forest management as a solution for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation’s climate-smart strategies recognize that healthy well-managed forests act like sponges to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and that products made from trees continue to store carbon for generations. As an association whose members represent the entire forestry and forest products supply chain, we fully endorse the bill’s incentives to establish new forest-based products, plant more trees, and grow more wood." - Deb Hawkinson, president, Forest Resources Association
"Reforestation is an essential element of any climate plan, which is why it’s only fitting that Congress’ only trained forester is focused on how our nation’s forests can naturally sequester carbon while supporting healthy watersheds, wildlife, and local communities that rely upon them. We’re grateful to Congressman Westerman for introducing the Trillion Trees Act and we look forward to working with him to strengthen the bill as it advances." - Collin O’Mara, president and CEO, National Wildlife Federation
"The National Wild Turkey Federation supports the ambition of the Trillion Trees Act of 2021 as an important step toward ensuring the future health and biodiversity of the United States and around the globe. With many of our nation’s forests in poor condition due to decades of neglect, the growing risk of tree diseases, insects, drought and wildfire increases with each passing season. The Trillion Trees Act of 2021 will help to establish a means to restore forests to a resilient and healthy state and remediate those that have been damaged in catastrophic events of recent years." - Becky Humphries, CEO, National Wild Turkey Federation