AFF to Congress: Maintain Funding for Forest Health, Stewardship and Education Programs
Despite the current budget environment, appropriations committees are starting to look ahead in an effort to plan and prepare the federal budget for 2012.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies plans to discuss funding for programs that directly impact and benefit America’s family forests.
In March, AFF President and CEO Tom Martin submitted testimony [PDF] for the subcommittee record. Martin requested maintained funding for programs that support better stewardship of America’s 265 million family forest acres.
AFF recognizes that federal spending must be reduced in such a tight budget climate. However, we urge the Appropriations Subcommittee, when choosing its priorities, to focus on key forest health, stewardship, and education programs. Because forestry is a long-term endeavor, investments today to improve forest health and stewardship will reduce spending in the future.
Investments in U.S. Forest Service programs, the Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Health Program on Cooperative lands, State Fire Assistance, and the Forest Inventory and Analysis are essential federal resources for family forest owners to manage for healthy, biodiverse forests and to profitably maintain our nation’s valuable natural resource.
The testimony reads, “family forest owners do their part to take care of the land; many invest all they have in their land, with minimal returns, because they believe it is their responsibility to be good stewards for the benefit of future generations. But often, their best intentions are subverted by circumstances—hurricanes, insects, invasive species, or wildfires—far beyond their control.”
The testimony included a story about Outstanding Tree Farmers Diane and Salem Saloom. The couple from Brewerton, Alabama, suffered tremendous losses from Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The Tree Farmers turned adversity into opportunity by maximizing beneficial resources from state and federal forestry agencies. Investments in existing federal forestry programs made the Saloom’s effort and commitment to reinvest in their land possible.
Martin’s testimony also highlights the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, which acts as our nation’s forest census and provides landscape-scale forest health information and insight on potential sources for markets.
AFF also urges the Subcommittee to maintain funding for environmental education programs, such as EPA’s Office of Environmental Education, which support the Project Learning Tree program.
Write your members of Congress today and ask them to defend crucial forest health and stewardship programs.
Photo credit: Flickr's VinothChandar
