Dear {{ 'Short Salutation' | form_value | default: 'Friend' }},

Oregon is seeing the effects of climate change as never before: longer, hotter summers, higher waves and wind impacts, reduced snow pack, and increasingly intense fire seasons. Acting now is imperative.

The good news is that Oregon also has a unique advantage in addressing climate change: its remarkably rich forests, farms, and other natural resources. We can transform these lands from victims of climate change to key drivers of the solution.

The state legislature is currently considering HB 2020, which would establish a new Oregon climate action program. HB 2020 will promote carbon sequestration and mitigation, promote adaptation and resilience, and provide assistance for efforts to make this transition to a safer future. The positive effects of reducing carbon and addressing climate change—environmentally as well as economically—will more than make up for the cost of implementation.

Harnessing the power of Oregon’s forests, farms, and other lands to combat climate change—which are the most cost effective and near-term opportunities for the state—should be central to this bill. Recent reports at the national and international level make it clear that conservation and restoration of forests and other natural lands need to be a significant component of climate action. Globally, the role of forests and other lands is targeted to achieve nearly 40% of the needed carbon reductions, at a fraction of the cost of other available approaches. With its rich land base, Oregon can lead the way.

However, unlike prior draft legislation, the current version of HB 2020 proposes no specific allocation of funding to the natural and working lands sector. This is a missed opportunity.

You can help: Urge your legislator today to support significant investments in forest and other lands, and the people and communities that manage and steward them, by strengthening and passing HB 2020.

Sincerely,

Laurie Wayburn
President, Pacific Forest Trust

P.S. I testified via phone to the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction last night – you can read my testimony and watch the hearing on our website, and then contact your legislator. Thank you for helping ensure that forests are part of the solution to climate change.