Pacific Forest Trust Explained

Pacific Forest Trust is an accredited[1] [2] non-profit conservation land trust that advances forest conservation and stewardship solutions. Its mission is to sustain America's forests for their public benefits of wood, water, wildlife, and people's wellbeing, in cooperation with landowners and communities.[3]

History

Pacific Forest Trust was founded in 1993 by Laurie Wayburn and Constance Best to provide incentives and support to encourage and enable forest landowners to conserve their properties.[4] [5] Laurie Wayburn, an environmentalist and Harvard Alumna,[6] is the daughter of noted environmentalist Edgar Wayburn. Constance Best is a conservationist and entrepreneur.

Approach

The Trust's strategy is to make conservation an economically competitive use of forests and other associated lands. They partner with private landowners to permanently conserve their forests, prioritizing long-term forest health and productivity that benefit the public, with 82,484 acres currently under conservation easement.[7] They promote forest conservation[8] [9] [10] because it helps mitigate climate change,[11] [12] [13] [14] protects water resources,[15] [16] [17] [18] serves as habitat for wildlife,[19] [20] and offers recreational opportunities for those who enjoy the outdoors.

Pacific Forest Trust promotes practical implementation of stewardship forestry—forestry, which encourages natural, native forest composition, age distributions, processes, and structures—on private forestlands.[21] They do this through providing research results, technical and management planning assistance, demonstration, advice and education for landowners, resource managers, and governmental agency personnel.[22] [23] Pacific Forest Trust's Van Eck Forest Project[24] [25] is an example of this type of forestry.[26] This project was also the first emissions reduction project registered and independently verified in California.[27] [28] [29]

Policy and advocacy

The Trust develops policy initiatives and analyses to generate new incentives for—or remove barriers to—long-term forest stewardship, promoting initiatives and regulations that support landowners' investments in the restoration and conservation of their land. They pioneered the conception and implementation of the Working Forest Conservation Easement,[30] which is a conservation easement "specifically designed to protect working forests in which the harvesting of timber and other forest products is sustained in perpetuity along with related conservation values”[31] such as wildlife habitat, water sources, and climate-mitigating stores of carbon.

Pacific Forest Trust also led the process of including legitimate and verifiable standards for forest carbon into the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006[32] and participated in the development of the Forest Project Protocol.[33] By doing so they created the basis for the ongoing market in forestry-based Carbon Credits that has been facilitating the reduction of net emissions of since it was enacted.[34] [35]

In addition, the Trust developed a streamlined approach to obtaining Safe Harbor Agreements, that ensure landowners are rewarded—rather than penalized—for maximizing conservation of habitat for animals that are in danger of extinction.[36]

In 2004, Pacific Forest Trust also spearheaded an attempt to add nearly 1,600 acres to the Yosemite National Park by purchasing 793 acres of the land[37] and then offering it to the National Park for inclusion.[38] [39] [40] The local Congressman Tom McClintock halted the attempt.[41]

Awards and accolades

Reactions

Some environmental groups opposed the rules that authorized the production of Carbon Credits from forestland, including the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and two dozen others.[48] It is still controversial.[49]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Find A Land Trust Land Trust Alliance. findalandtrust.org. Land Trust Alliance. 2016-06-09.
  2. Web site: Land Trust Locator - Pacific Forest Trust. www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Land Trust Accreditation Commission. 2016-06-09.
  3. Web site: About Us - Pacific Forest Trust. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-06-09.
  4. Protectors of the Planet. Clark. Champ. 2008-04-21. www.people.com. People Magazine. 2016-06-09.
  5. News: Conservation easements and land trusts growing trend in north state. Arthur. Damon. 2012-07-28. www.redding.com. Redding Record Searchlight. 2016-06-09. 2016-06-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20160609064029/http://www.redding.com/news/conservation-easements-and-land-trusts-growing-trend-in-north-state-ep-374990937-354312311.html. dead.
  6. Seeing the Forest for Its Trees. Porter Brown. Nell. 2010-05-01. Harvard Magazine. 2016-06-09.
  7. Web site: Forest Conservation Projects. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-08-09.
  8. Web site: What We Do: Conserve Forest Landscapes. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-08-07.
  9. Book: Best, Constance. The Rainforests of Home. The Pacific Forest Trust. Peter Schoonmaker. 197–201. 2016-06-15. 9781610913379. 1997-01-01. Island Press .
  10. Book: Rowe, Jonathan. Our Common Wealth: The Hidden Economy That Makes Everything Else Work. Barnes, Peter. Berrett Koehler Publishers Inc.. 2013-04-01. 2016-06-15. 9781609948351.
  11. Web site: What We Do: Advance Climate Solutions. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-06-09.
  12. Nature's Storage System. Hagstrom. Jerry. National Journal. 39. 360–4217. 2007-07-07. 31,32. Government Research Corporation. 2016-06-18.
  13. News: Experts: Deforestation Hurts Climate. AP. Lewiston Sun Journal. 2007-02-26. 2016-06-15.
  14. News: Ellison. Katherine. 2000-10-15. Trust Seeks to Harvest 'Carbon Credits' From Forests. Los Angeles Times. 2016-06-18.
  15. Web site: What We Do: Protect Water Sources. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-06-09.
  16. News: Help needed to protect forests, water supply in California. Best. Connie. Martin. Tom. 2015-12-15. 2016-06-16.
  17. News: Pact protects Sierra ranchland, upper Calaveras River. Nichols. Dana M.. Recordnet.com. Local Media Group. 2013-06-15. 2016-06-15.
  18. News: . Assembly declares trees as part of state's water systems. Central Valley Business Times. Sacramento. 2016-06-06. 2016-06-19. 2016-06-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20160607105637/http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=30662. dead.
  19. Web site: What We Do: Save Wildlife Habitat. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-06-09.
  20. News: Mortenson. Eric. 2010-12-03. In a timber wars turnabout, Washington tree farm improves habitat for spotted owl. The Oregonian. 2016-06-19.
  21. News: A Battle Won?. Gurnon. Emily. North Coast Journal Weekly. 2004-08-05.
  22. News: To save a forest, chop here. Hunt. Ed. 2000-07-18. Christian Science Monitor. 2016-06-18.
  23. News: Drummond Woodsum lawyers help Appalachian Mountain Club cash in on uncut trees. McCarthy. James. 2014-11-17. MaineBiz.biz. en-US. 2016-06-09.
  24. Web site: Van Eck Forest Laboratories. Pacific Forest Trust. en-US. 2016-06-09.
  25. Book: 10.7864/j.ctt1262cq.28. PASSERO. Michelle. KATZ. R.. WAYBURN. L.. 2008. Streck C.. O’Sullivan R.. Janson-Smith T.. Tarasofsky R.. Climate Change and Forests: Emerging Policy and Market Opportunities. Climate Change and Forests. The Van Eck Forest Management Project in California. 289–291. Brookings Institution Press. 9780815781929 .
  26. News: Where environmental concerns meet timber interests. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911113945/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21105098.html. dead. 2016-09-11. Barnard. Jeff. The Washington Post. 2010-01-10. 2016-06-15.
  27. Web site: Forest Carbon Portal: The van Eck Forest. www.forestcarbonportal.com. Forest Trends. 2016-06-09. 2016-06-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20160612181820/http://www.forestcarbonportal.com/project/van-eck. dead.
  28. News: Forests break green ground by selling offsets. DeBare. Ilana. 2008-09-07. SFGate. 2016-06-09.
  29. News: Humboldt Forest in 1st Carbon Offset Deal. The Press Democrat. 2008-02-12. 2016-06-15.
  30. News: Calif. Forest Hailed as Model for New Management Paradigm. Greenwire. Laura Petersen Of. 2011-09-29. The New York Times. 0362-4331. 2016-06-09.
  31. Tesini. Dan. 2009-01-01. Working Forest Conservation Easements. The Urban Lawyer. 41. 2. 359–375. 41549269.
  32. Web site: AB32 and California's Forestry Sector. Whitesell. William. Center for Clean Air Policy. 2016-06-09. 2016-06-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20160615095107/http://ccap.org/assets/AB32-and-Californias-Forestry-Sector_CCAP.pdf. dead.
  33. Web site: Forest Project Protocol Development. www.climateactionreserve.org. Climate Action Reserve. 2016-06-09.
  34. News: California forests hold one answer to climate change. Roosevelt. Margot. Los Angeles Times. 2009-06-01. 2016-06-15.
  35. News: Texas Company to Preserve Trees in Trade for Pollution. The Victoria Advocate, New York Times News Service. 2000-11-12. 2016-06-15.
  36. Web site: ENDANGERED SPECIES: Calif. land trust balances habitat restoration, logging under safe harbor agreement for spotted owl. Reese. April. 2009-03-26. www.eenews.net. E&E Publishing. 2016-06-09.
  37. Web site: Land adjacent to California's Yosemite park bought by conservation group. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 2004. 2016-06-09.
  38. News: Bills would expand Yosemite National Park slightly. CONE . TRACIE. AP Online. Press Association, Inc.. 2013. 2016-06-15.
  39. News: Costa Bill Would Restore Yosemite to Muir's Original Vision. States News Service. States News Service. 2013. 2016-06-15. 2016-08-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828115058/http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/tourism/5782-costa-bill-looks-to-expand-yosemite-s-boundary. dead.
  40. News: Sen. Feinstein Introduces Bill to Expand Yosemite's Western Boundary. US Fed News Service, Including US State News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. 2013. 2016-06-15. l
  41. News: Yosemite National Park Expansion Stalls in Congress. Rogers. Paul. San Jose Mercury News. 2014-06-17.
  42. Web site: Climate Action Reserve Announces 2012 Climate Action Champion Award Recipients. 2012-04-24. www.climateactionreserve.org. Climate Action Reserve. 2016-06-09.
  43. Web site: July 2010 Accreditation Decisions. www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Land Trust Accreditation Commission. 2016-06-09.
  44. Web site: Ranks of Accredited Land Trusts Grow. 2016-02-16. www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Land Trust Accreditation Commission. 2016-06-09.
  45. Web site: 2009 Climate Protection Award Winners. Climate Protection Partnerships. U. S. EPA. 29 January 2015.
  46. Web site: Energy Star and Other Climate Protection Partnerships, 2008 Annual Report. 2016-06-15.
  47. Web site: EPA Honors Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Award Winners. 21 April 2009. Environmental Protection Agency. 16 May 2016.
  48. News: Bailey. Eric. 2009-09-25. New California rules allow timber firms to sell carbon credits. Los Angeles Times. 2016-06-19.
  49. News: Parrish. Will. Cap & Trade: Selling Pollution. Anderson Valley Advertiser. 2016-05-11. 2016-06-15.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pacific Forest Trust".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.