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The National Association of Forest Service Retirees has shared a letter and two position papers with the agency, warning of the mounting threats to the nation's forests due to climate change.
The letter, addressed to Homer Wilkes, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, states, "We believe that the cascading effects of extreme events require greater focus and attention because of their many effects on communities and people."
While the association supports the Forest Service's near-term approach to accelerate and expand forest management practices aimed at reducing wildfire risk, the group is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cabinet agency that houses the Forest Service, to incorporate the long term risks of climate change into its strategy and planning activities.
The position papers outlined how advancements in science and climate-smart planning in the past several decades can assist federal agencies in working more closely with communities. The papers also emphasized that technological advances and evolving social values around climate change as well as shifting weather patterns are creating a "new reality" for public agencies to grasp when it comes to dealing with the impacts of climate change in both the short and long term.
Clarification
The lawsuit put forth by the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the Burns Paiute Tribe, and the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe referenced in yesterday's Look West is separate from the emergency court order filed by four environmental groups to block construction of the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. Last week, the three tribes filed a separate lawsuit claiming that the Bureau of Land Management misrepresented its claims that it met its legal obligation to consult with tribes about potential impacts to historical and cultural values near the mine site.
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Methane accounting may not have the popular appeal of electric cars or rooftop solar panels. But finding, fixing and preventing methane leaks is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to reduce heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere.”
