For Benji Backer, being conservative means believing in limited government, market-based solutions and the scientists who say carbon emissions must be cut to avoid the worst of climate change.
It’s called the Trillion Trees Act, and it would encourage tree-planting with national wood-growth targets, a reforestation task force, an award for forest restoration, and other measures.
The bill has 37 cosponsors – three Democrats and 34 Republicans. The latest Republican to join the list is South Dakota’s Dusty Johnson.
“It really avoids the petty squabbling that so often leads us to inaction,” Johnson said of the bill, “and instead gives us an opportunity to take meaningful steps toward something that I think the left and the right can agree on, which is, let’s plant some trees.”
But almost 100 conservation and climate-change groups have signed a letter opposing the bill. They describe the legislation as a Trojan horse, because it includes higher logging targets on public land to manage the additional trees. There’s also a tax credit in the bill for sustainable building practices with products including wood. �