PFT’s 2018 Legislative Priorities
SAN FRANCISCO (3/21/18) – 
In 2018, PFT is advancing the role of forests in climate policy in Oregon, Washington, and California. While legislation this year stalled in Oregon and Washington, we and many others continue to work to advance climate policy.
In Oregon, the legislature is currently considering Senate Bill (SB) 1070, a groundbreaking bill to limit climate pollution. SB 1070 would establish a “Cap and Invest” carbon pollution market and promote climate adaptation and resilience in Oregon. PFT’s expertise in effectively including forests and working lands in mitigating climate change and engaging rural communities was brought to bear in these discussions when the legislature’s joint Senate/House committee invited PFT President Laurie A. Wayburn to brief them on forest offsets as part of this bill, in a public informational hearing January 10, 2018. Watch the video here.
In Washington, we are supporting the citizens’ initiative to establish a tax on carbon that would fund clean energy, air and water quality, and forest health, which is in the process of qualifying for the November 2018 ballot. Read the text of the Washington measure here.
In California, PFT is sponsoring a bill that would improve our response to fire and dedicate funding for the climate services of forests. Assembly Bill 2551, authored by Assembly Member Jim Wood, would help ensure forests are rich and resilient carbon sinks by dedicating 18% of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) revenues to the Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention to improve or restore forest and wildland health and fire resiliency. Additionally, we’re working to ensure that funding for key natural resources programs that had been dropped from GGRF allocations, including adaptation, urban greening, wetlands and watershed restoration, is restored.
At the national level, we are working with our friends at the Land Trust Alliance to protect public confidence in the integrity of conservation easements. The bipartisan Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, introduced as H.R. 4459 & S. 2436, would stop profiteering from conservation easement donations. It is essential to maintain the public trust and confidence in donations of easements as these are a key way that landowners can protect their lands and our shared natural legacy for future generations.
Our 25th year will certainly be a busy one, but we look forward to continuing our work to create effective climate change solutions, conserve intact forested landscapes, and protect natural water sources. The Pacific Forest Trust is proud that, because of the strength we get from our loyal supporters, we can work to pass and implement policies that protect forests and other lands to ensure the many benefits they provide will be there for future generations as well.