What will this bill actually do?
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- Allow the state to leverage federal funding and private investments in natural climate solutions on natural and working lands;
- Create a source of funding for voluntary actions to reduce climate pollution by storing carbon in natural and working lands;
- Fund and direct state agencies to provide incentives and technical support to forest owners, farmers, and ranchers to implement natural climate solutions on their lands;
- Allow Oregon to develop a natural and working lands inventory so Oregon can measure gains in carbon sequestration and study opportunities for workforce development and training.
- Build on Oregon’s emissions goals by sequestering carbon millions of tons of CO2 each year
Please help us and our partners get this over the finish line by writing a letter to the following legislators:
Legislative targets (Senate Committee on Natural Resources):
Sen Jeff Golden (D-Ashland) Sen.JeffGolden@oregonlegislature.gov
Sen Fred Girod (R-Stayton) Sen.FredGirod@oregonlegislature.gov
Sen Floyd Prozanski (D-Douglans & Lane Counties) Sen.FloydProzanski@OregonLegislature.gov
Sen David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) Sen.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Sen Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland) sen.kathleentaylor@oregonlegislature.gov
Sample Letter
(download word doc or copy and paste content below)
Dear (Legislator),
As your Oregon constituent, I’m writing to express my strong support for SB 530 the Natural Climate Solutions bill. This bill will offer simple, proven solutions for both reducing the future impacts of climate change and confronting the impacts communities and land managers are already contending with, including drought, heatwaves, flooding, and wildfire.
Natural climate solutions are critical for fighting climate change and protecting our forests, farms, grasslands, and wetlands. They include activities such as:
- Planting more trees in urban areas;
- Protecting and recovering watersheds and wetlands;
- Planting cover crops on agricultural lands;
- Lengthened logging rotations on private lands;
- Protecting mature and old-growth forests on public lands; and
- Protecting coastal communities from storm surge and flooding.
SB 530 will:
- Allow the state to leverage federal funding and private investments in natural climate solutions on natural and working lands;
- Create a source of state funding for voluntary actions to remove climate pollution from the atmosphere and store it in natural and working lands;
- Fund and direct state agencies to provide incentives and technical support to forest owners, farmers, and ranchers to implement natural climate solutions on their lands; and
- Allow Oregon to develop a natural and working lands inventory so Oregon can measure gains in carbon sequestration and study opportunities for workforce development and training.
- Build on Oregon’s emissions goals by sequestering carbon millions of tons of CO2 each year
We need to use every climate solution at our disposal to confront the worsening climate and biodiversity crises. Given the tight state budget this year, it is important that Oregon do everything it can to leverage additional federal resources. This bill will provide matching state funds for recent federal legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill, which in turn will provide significant new financial resources for Oregon’s ranchers, farmers, and forest owners.
Natural climate solutions that enhance carbon storage and sequestration, such as cover crops and longer logging rotations, can also provide numerous co-benefits, such as clean and abundant drinking water for communities; improved fish and wildlife habitat; and reduced risk of flooding, erosion, and landslides.
As a whole, investing in natural climate solutions means more support for urban and rural communities, more climate resilience, and a stronger future for all of Oregon. And it’s time we took advantage of these win-win opportunities. Thank you for doing everything in your power to protect Oregon’s climate, communities, and natural resources!
