FOREST FLASH February 2023
In Pacific Forest Trust’s e-newsletter, Forest Flash, we send you the most recent PFT news and updates on forests, clean water, climate, and wildlife. Subscribe here.
With the new year comes new legislation for Oregon impacting forest conservation, biodiversity, and watershed health. In the long legislative session which takes place from January to June, there are a number of proposals for forest and land conservation as well as biodiversity protection across the state, which PFT is strongly supporting.
HB 2999 aims to increase funding for the planning and construction of wildlife crossings, supporting species mobility and habitat connectivity. This is especially important for the I-5 overpass that PFT has been advocating for.
HB 2813 would require the Oregon Health Authority to ensure that Oregon communities receive reliable, high-quality drinking water and establish a grant program for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of sources of drinking water. PFT provided testimony at the hearing for the bill. Also on the water security front, PFT Strategic Advisor Connie Best provided testimony at the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) board meeting, calling for increased funding for land acquisitions on strategic watershed ecosystems.
Pacific Forest Trust will continue advocating for these bills, and we look forward to seeing them come to fruition!
With the new year comes new legislation for Oregon impacting forest conservation, biodiversity, and watershed health. In the long legislative session which takes place from January to June, there are a number of proposals for forest and land conservation as well as biodiversity protection across the state, which PFT is strongly supporting.
HB 2999 aims to increase funding for the planning and construction of wildlife crossings, supporting species mobility and habitat connectivity. This is especially important for the I-5 overpass that PFT has been advocating for.
HB 2813 would require the Oregon Health Authority to ensure that Oregon communities receive reliable, high-quality drinking water and establish a grant program for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of sources of drinking water. PFT provided testimony at the hearing for the bill. Also on the water security front, PFT Strategic Advisor Connie Best provided testimony at the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) board meeting, calling for increased funding for land acquisitions on strategic watershed ecosystems.
Pacific Forest Trust will continue advocating for these bills, and we look forward to seeing them come to fruition!
Given the fragmented nature of forest wildlife pathways – they usually straddle property boundaries – conserving properties in siloes isn’t enough to ensure safe passage for wildlife. That’s why PFT strategically targets properties that bridge important habitat zones for a variety of species. In this spirit, PFT is pursuing a major strategic initiative to conserve one of America’s most valuable treasure troves of biodiversity and a strong example of intact ecological infrastructure, the Klamath-Cascade Region.
The Klamath-Cascade region consists of almost 10 million acres across northern California. It is home to the most diverse conifer forests in the world and supports over 600 species, nearly a hundred of which are currently imperiled.
Partnering with owners Campbell Global, LLC, PFT is pursuing a Working Forest Conservation Easement on Shasta Timberlands. This region is of critical conservation importance, as it serves as a bridge across the Klamath-Cascade region linking important watersheds as well as habitat for imperiled species. Shasta Timberlands is home to over 250 species, including 20 imperiled species. The easement will provide for one-third of the property to be managed solely for special habitat values, creating a vast, integrated network of forest that will be actively managed for critical wildlife habitats, among other benefits.
As climate change continues to alter ecosystems and weather patterns, forest habitat that can sustain healthy wildlife populations has become more critical than ever. By working with private landowners to protect and link up critical wildlife habitat, Pacific Forest Trust is continuing this important work. Donate to help us build more places where wildlife can thrive!
The US Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes nearly 1,700 species as endangered or threatened in the United States. Roughly 200 of these species live in Oregon and California, with California being home to the highest number of endangered species of any US state. A major contributing factor is habitat loss and depletion. To address the dire need for more wildlife protections, California’s Gov. Newsom introduced an ambitious conservation program known as 30×30. This plan to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 has gained traction at the federal level as well.
These are all signs of a growing commitment to finding solutions that materially and dramatically promote biodiversity conservation across the country. Conserving private forests, which comprise more than 60 percent of US forests and are incredible sources of biodiversity, must be part of the solution. Pacific Forest Trust manages private forests – or provides provisions to do so via its Working Forest Conservation Easements – to restore and maintain habitat for a wide range of species.
Want to learn more about PFT’s work promoting biodiversity? Join us April 27 for Forest Fete – our biggest celebratory gathering of PFT partners and supporters from across the conservation, science, and policy communities! Learn more and get your ticket at forestfete.org.
If you can’t make it to Fete, consider tuning in to our free Seeing the Forest: For the Wildlife webinar in April, where a panel of experts will explore how we can strengthen forest biodiversity and habitat resilience in the face of climate change. Keep an eye out in your email for a registration link!
And take a look at the gallery below to see footage captured by the wildlife cameras on PFT-conserved properties!
ICYMI
In case you missed it (ICYMI), here are some other exciting things PFT has been involved in lately!
- Capitol Weekly spoke with PFT’s VP of Policy and Incentives, Paul Mason, about the present and future of land management as California continues to adapt to climate change.
- The SF Chronicle published a Letter to the Editor from PFT President Laurie Wayburn about increased tree mortality in California and the vital importance of managing forests better.
Give with confidence. Charity Navigator awarded Pacific Forest Trust a perfect score in finance and accountability.