The Center for Forestry submitted both written and oral comments at the Forest Climate Action Team (FCAT) Public Meeting on February 20, 2015 in Sacramento, CA. The The FCAT was established as part of the 2014 Climate Change Scoping Plan update to Assembly Bill 32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act) to develop a forest carbon plan for the state. The team is composed of individuals from state agencies, federal agencies, and local governments. It is led by CalFire Director Ken Pimlott. 

The Center's comments covered these topics: 

• A recommendation that the FCAT incorporate a systems or life cycle approach that considers all carbon pools—live trees in the forest; live tree carbon that goes to dead trees and into soils; wood products; and the “saved” carbon when wood is substituted for cement, steel, and gasoline. 
• A suggestion that the  FCAT examine the important role forests play in carbon planning in British Columbia. British Columbia's carbon offset program is closely tied with their forestry sector—both to achieve significant carbon advantages and to provide significant co-benefits that are often targeted at rural or disadvantaged communities. Valuable descriptions of some of their strategies can be found at:
  • http://www.toolkit.bc.ca/ 
  • http://www.livesmartbc.ca/learn/forests.html
  • http://www.naturallywood.com/ 
  • http://www.bcairsmart.ca/communities/trees.html
  • http://www.energyplan.gov.bc.ca/bioenergy/
  • http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Blog/Wood%20Concrete%20of%2021st%20Century.pdf 
• A reflection that AB 1504 provides a legislative mandate for the Board of Forestry (BOF) to take a firm leadership role on ensuring that California's forests and forest products become a larger and larger part of California's overall strategy for climate change mitigation.  

Part of our mandate at the Center is to learn how different forest practices affect carbon, rigorously document the processes, and disseminate what are “best practices.” The Center hopes to continue to work with FCAT, Board, and CALFIRE staff as they move forward in this process.

A copy of the Center's written comments can be found below.