Community Forestry Bonds Program Considered by Congress

Cascade Land Conservancy is announcing an effort to support a Community Forestry Bond program proposal, which is now under consideration in Congress.


They are urging supporters to contact our Senators to support this concept. 


It would provide funding to communities who wish to promote green jobs in their communities and support "working forests" nearby.


Casscade Land Conservancy is a "land trust" organization that promotes the Cascade Agenda and other conservation programs. They have acheived amazing success at aquisition and restoration of lands needed to preserve open space and quality of life in our region.  Shoreline is a Cascade Agenda City in partnership with Cascade Land.
Here is their vision:

OUR SHARED VISION

This collective vision for the region is grounded in the belief that a broad coalition can achieve fundamental change.  Led by Cascade Land Conservancy, nearly 100 businesses, organizations and government agencies and more than 750 community leaders and passionate citizens from King, Kittitas, Pierce and Snohomish Counties stand behind The Cascade Agenda.  Supporters range broadly from farmers, foresters and tribes to housing, arts and cultural interests.  Clearly, the ideas behind The Agenda speak powerfully to our community.

http://cascadeagenda.com/strategies/community-forest-bonds

Community Forest Bonds

Working forests provide jobs and public values for our communities, such as habitat, water quality and carbon storage. 

In the past 10 years, more than 80% of America’s industrial forests have changed hands and the trend is continuing. This unprecedented level of sales creates opportunities for large scale working forest conservation. Funding is thelimiting factor, but Community Forest Bonds offer a solution. 

A New Conservation Tool 

Community Forests Bonds are a financing tool that conserves working forests while providing jobs and respecting landowner property rights.

In short, tax-exempt revenue bonds are issued for the purchase of forests by a non-profit. These low-cost bonds are repaid by sustainably harvesting the forest.

Using this approach, millions of dollars will be made available, which could result in the conservation of 2 million acres!

 

Make Community Forest Bonds a Reality

This innovative approach requires change in the current laws. Legislation has been introduced in the 111th Congress(HR3302, S1502), and the coming weeks will be criticalfor the efforts to pass the bill.

Call Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell now to thank them for their leadership on this legislation and to urge them to work with Senate colleagues to pass the bill at the earliest opportunity.

Senate offices can be reached at 202-224-3121.

Here's what you can say:

• We're losing our working forests and we need Community Forestry Bonds to conserve these lands.
• Community Forestry Bonds is about jobs: by keeping working forests working, the bill will retain 13,500 green jobs.
• Please pass Community Forestry Bonds at the earliest opportunity.  

Please Take Action Today!

(and let us know if you do. We'd love to hear from you!)

Click here to learn more about Community Forest Bonds.