In 2021, US Senator Mike Braun introduced legislation S.1251 – (Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021) to to protect our environment and conserve America’s natural resources.
After passing both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support and being signed by President Biden, S.1251 is officially law as of 2023.
This law creates a certification program at the USDA to help solve technical entry barriers that prevent farmer and forest landowner participation in carbon credit markets in addition to enacting other measures to help preserve our forests and natural treasures.
To learn more about the Growing Climate Solutions Act, click here.
To read the full text of the law, click here.
The Indiana Division of Forestry (DOF) has released a draft 2023-2027 Strategic Direction describing how they will manage our state forests for the next few years.
Right now, 97% of Indiana state forests are managed for timber production. The new draft continues this trend to support timber production and describes how state forests are mostly of the oak hickory type but trending towards maple and beech.
Please take a few moments to tell the DOF how you want to see your state forests managed. IFA’s suggested comments include:
- State forests should not be managed as demonstration farms for timber production.
- State forests are far more important as wildlife habitats for protection of endangered species and their habitats.
- Each unique state forest property should have an individual management plan that explicitly states what timber removals are prescribed and which areas are designated as Wild Areas or High Conservation Value Forests off limits for timber removal.
- Forest health initiatives should focus primarily on control of invasive species.
To read and comment on the Draft Strategic Direction, click here.