Walden backs ‘Trillion Trees Act’

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) joined GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and other members of Congress at a news conference Tuesday on The Trillion Trees Act. The legislation would help decrease carbon emissions by ensuring 1 trillion trees are planted globally by 2050.

Below are Walden's Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:

"In my district back in Oregon, wildfires pose a large threat to our communities, our forests, and our environment. I’ve long called for improved federal forest management to help minimize the threat of wildfires. When fires do occur, we should get in and remove the burned, dead trees and replant our forests for future generations.

"I learned as a young Eagle Scout to always leave your campsite better than you found it – the Trillion Trees Act would do just that – and I am proud to join Bruce Westerman, Leader McCarthy and my many other colleagues in supporting this important legislation.

"We know that trees excel at carbon capture and sequestration. Research out of Switzerland has shown that planting one trillion trees across the world could sequester at least the last decade’s worth of carbon emissions, potentially more.  If we are serious about tackling climate change and carbon, we should be utilizing our federal forests and managing them with that in mind.

"I’m hopeful we can move this idea forward to improve the management of our forests and reduce the risk of wildfire."

The Trillion Trees Act is based on a 2019 Swiss report that concluded planting one trillion trees globally could sequester 205 gigatonnes of carbon, roughly equivalent to two-thirds of all manmade carbon since the Industrial Revolution. President Trump pledged commitment to the Trillion Trees Initiative in Davos as well as during the 2020 State of the Union.

In addition to supporting The Trillion Trees Act, Walden has long advocated for improving forest management. In 2018, Walden helped pass into law the most sweeping reforms to forest management policy in more than a decade. The reforms included a fix to the so-called fire borrowing so that federal forest management accounts are not being used to fight wildfires.  

Last year, he introduced the Resilient Federal Forest Act of 2019, which would build upon that progress and make significant reforms to forest management policy and reduce the risk of wildfire in Oregon and nationwide.  

Click here to learn more about The Trillion Trees Act.

Click here to learn more about Walden's efforts to reform federal forest policy.