America’s Forests Play Critical Role in Climate Change Fight
According to new data released by USDA, America’s forests play an important role in the fight against climate change. And private forests are particularly vital to reducing the carbon pollution that causes climate change.
The amount of carbon stored in America’s forests is roughly 11 percent of the country’s carbon emissions -- the equivalent of removing almost 135 million passenger vehicles from our nation's highways. And, this percent could be much more with greater incentives for private landowners to improve management practices on their woodlands.
This is why AFF supports the Forest Carbon Incentive Program to foster carbon offset markets and more flexible opportunities for climate mitigation activities on family forests; and to help family forest owners adapt their forests to a changing climate.
The USDA report highlighted that:
- The amount of carbon stored in forestland has increased during the past 20 years.
- Although national forests contain an average of 28 percent more carbon per forested acre than private land, private forestlands store more total carbon than national forests.
- Private forestlands make up a much larger percentage of the nation's total forest area (63 percent) than national forests (22 percent; other public land is 15 percent of the nation's forest area).
- Carbon stored per acre can increase with increasing stand age, an increase in stand density, or it can decrease due to disturbances, such as fire.
- The average amount of carbon per acre varies regionally and by type of forest.
It’s more important than ever that we continue working to help private forest owners keep their forests, forests. And yet, the threats to private forests continue to escalate. Across the country, families are facing the prospect of having to sell their forestland in order to pay estate taxes. Too often, the land is developed and these forests are lost forever. Threats of pest and pathogens, catastrophic fire, and natural disaster affect many landowners. Family forest owners need to be supported in their efforts to sustainably manage their forests.
Read more about the report and the carbon process at: www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/forest-carbon/.
