 | |  | | The 2007 Farm Bill must recognize private forests as part of the rural landscape, improve the
effectiveness of programs for private forest conservation and management, and increase
resources for these programs. | |
We are losing family forests at an alarming rate and family forest owners need significant additional resources to help them manage and protect their forests to produce timber, wildlife, and clean water.
Specifically, Congress should:
Make more resources available for forest landowners for conservation and management activities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Increase funding for the Healthy Forest Reserve Program and allow landowners to voluntary choose to place their forests in permanent conservation easements.
Promote better coordination and planning among federal, state and local agencies to ensure conservation program dollars produce maximum benefit.
Develop an Emergency Forest Restoration Program to help landowners so that we're ready when the next hurricane, devastating fire or other disaster strikes.
Establish a Community Forest and Open Space Program to assist local governments in protecting economically and ecologically important forests.
We urge you to call Subcommittee staff or Leadership to advocate for the Forests in the Farm Bill package that will achieve these goals. EQIP and Healthy Forest Reserve are programs of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research. The other three proposals - planning, Emergency Forest Restoration and Community Forest and Open Space are programs for the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.
A large, diverse coalition supports this package, including: American Forest Foundation, Eastern Forest Partnership, Environmental Defense, Hardwood Federation, National Association of State Foresters, National Wild Turkey Federation, Northern Forest Alliance, Northwest Woodland Owners Council, Ruffed Grouse Society, Society of American Foresters, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Mississippi.
Chairs, Ranking and Staff contacts from the House Agriculture Committee:
Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
Chairman: Cong. Baca from CA
Ranking: Cong. Bonner from AL
Majority Staff Director: Lisa Shelton, 202-225-6395
Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research
Chairman: Cong. Holden from PA
Ranking: Cong. Lucas from OK
Majority Staff Director: Nona Darrell, 202-225-0420
Full Committee
Chairman: Cong. Peterson from MN
Ranking: Cong. Goodlatte from VA
Minority staff on Forests: Rita Neznek, 202-225-4913
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