New position statements on conservation easements, forest health and climate

The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) and its partners have released new letters and position statements on the Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2023, the Federal Strategy to Advance Measurement and Monitoring Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Monitoring for the Agriculture and Forest Sectors, and plans for a Vulnerable Species Pilot Project.

Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP) Act of 2023

“The undersigned organizations respectfully request that you cosponsor the Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP) Act of 2023 (S. 2631), which was introduced by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS). We also urge you to support the inclusion of
the FCEP Act in the conservation title of the Farm Bill with mandatory funding. The purpose of FCEP is to keep forests as forests through the use of conservation easements that purchase development rights from willing private and tribal landowners to prevent conversion to non-forest uses. Private forests in a conservation easement can remain privately owned and working.”

Federal Strategy to Advance Measurement and Monitoring Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Monitoring for the Agriculture and Forest Sectors

“The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) is pleased to provide official comments in response to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Notice of Request for Public Comment on the Federal Strategy to Advance Measurement and Monitoring Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Monitoring for the Agriculture and Forest Sectors.

The USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program provides crucial information to federal and state forestry agencies, industry, academic, and conservation organizations on a wide range of forestry-related topics. Increasingly, FIA is relied on to provide data on the state of the nation’s largest carbon sink—our forests—making it an essential component of decisions regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy. However, the demands for information on forest carbon are becoming more varied and at scales that are problematic to meet with the current design and capabilities of the program.”

Vulnerable Species Pilot Project

“The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) is pleased to offer the below and attached comments in response to federal Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0327 – Draft Plan for Vulnerable Listed (Endangered and Threatened) Species Pilot Project: Proposed Mitigations, Implementation Plan, and Possible Expansion.

In reviewing the proposed pilot program as written, it appears the potential impacts to forestry operations in our region are minor given the geographic and species scope. However, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) implement the pilot program with a view towards potentially adding additional TES in the future, we see areas of concern which we would like to bring to your attention for consideration as you proceed.”

To browse all SGSF congressional letters and position statements, visit the “Where We Stand” webpage. For questions about SGSF’s policy priorities, contact Tim Foley, SGSF Policy Director.