Office of Representative Heath Shuler Representing North Carolina’s Eleventh Congressional District For Immediate Release August 1, 2008 Contact: Hayden Rogers, Chief of Staff office: (202) 225-6401 ________________________________________________________________________ Rep. Shuler Introduces Legislation to Sustain Forests and Reduce Emissions Healthy Forests, Healthy Planet Act Gives Incentives to Reduce Carbon, Produce Biofuels Washington, D.C. – Representative Heath Shuler introduced legislation today to provide private landowners with an incentive to preserve forest land by expanding access to carbon trading and biomass markets. “Our forests can play an important, long term role in mitigating the effects of climate change and helping the nation become energy independent,” said Shuler. “Private landowners hold the key to saving our environment, and we should do everything we can to reward them for doing the right thing.” The Healthy Forests, Healthy Planet Act provides landowners with incentives to participate in carbon trading markets. Currently these markets are voluntary and operate under minimum quantity standards that usually exclude owners of small private forestland. The Healthy Forests, Healthy Planet Act provides the management infrastructure needed to hasten an orderly development of both carbon and biomass markets. The bill would track carbon and biomass projects on a regional basis, assist small forest landowners with quantifying their forest carbon and trading capabilities, and provide cost efficient mechanisms for ensuring that landowners use sustainable forest management practices. The Healthy Forests, Healthy Planet Act would also influence the biomass markets by encouraging the use of locally-produced biomass. This will promote regional energy independence and create entrepreneurial and employment opportunities. This legislation is cosponsored by Representative Peter DeFazio, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Congressman Billy Bob will be pleased as well - he lives just down the road near Highlands.
We'll be rich I tell you and feel good about saving the planet for Ms. Pelosi all at the same time.