Climate-Smart Forestry 🌲
Ask Congress to protect our forests for a healthy climate!
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my representative listen to me?
Yes! The idea that elected representatives don’t listen to their constituents is not true. In reality, congressional staffers take every call and voicemail and read every email their office receives and pass these onto their member of Congress in regular briefings. Congress works for you, and they want to know what their constituents care about. You may receive a generic email in response, but your message was still received loud and clear.
What funding for healthy forests was included in the Inflation Reduction Act?
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided $19.5 billion over five years for climate smart agriculture through several of the conservation programs that U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) implements. These programs help farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices that increase storage of carbon through soil and trees. The money will become available in 2023 and last for four years, as long as it is not reprioritized for other purposes in this year’s Farm Bill. By asking your member of Congress to protect the funding in 2023, you are asking them to leave the money that has already been allocated to these programs in place.
What kinds of climate-smart forestry projects could be funded with this money?
There are many agroforestry projects that the USDA can fund with the money from the Inflation Reduction Act that will help our forests, including silvopasture, alley cropping, and forest management. These programs have all been funded in the past, but in limited amounts. Learn more about what USDA projects can be prioritized to help fight climate change.
Why do we need trees?
Trees are nature’s vacuum cleaner. They pull carbon out of the air, reducing the impacts of climate change. But the world is currently losing 25 million acres of forests per year to deforestation. That rate has slowed down from 40 million acres lost per year in the 1990s, but we still need to do much better, starting here at home.
What is agroforestry?
Agroforestry involves integrating trees and shrubs with animal agriculture and farmed crops to create a number of benefits, included higher crop yields, improved soil health, carbon sequestration, reduced erosion and more. More trees also means more shade for livestock to provide some resilience against extreme, worsening heat. It’s been practiced worldwide for centuries, but isn’t as popular in the United States as it in other countries. With proper funding and attention, we can use agroforestry to fight climate change.
How else can I help?
You only need to send your Senators and House Representative one email each using our tool. Then, share this page with any friends, family and coworkers who want to help restore a healthy climate this Earth Day!
Who is Citizens’ Climate Lobby?
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots advocacy climate change organization that exists to create the political will for climate change solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power.
Our consistently respectful, nonpartisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations.
CCL empowers everyday people to work with their community and their members of Congress. Our supporters cover the political spectrum and work in more than 450 local chapters. Together, we’re building support for a national bipartisan solution to climate change.
