The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry today convened a hearing to examine federal, state, and private forestlands, focusing on opportunities for addressing climate change. The committee's chairwoman, Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, said in her opening remarks, "Climate-smart forestry policies offer both tools to reduce carbon pollution and an important opportunity to develop new revenue streams for family foresters."
Among those testifying before the committee was forest owner Kedren Dillard of Virginia. Ms. Dillard testified on behalf of the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Network and the American Forest Foundation. One of the key points she made was this: "As you consider climate policy in this Committee and in this Congress, I urge you to create policies that recognize the important role and opportunity for forests and forest products as a climate solution and that ensure that African-American forest owners like my family and family forest owners more broadly are able to participate and contribute to tackling climate change in voluntary ways that increase our land values, help us keep our land in the family and keep it forested."
Here is her full testimony: Testimony_Dillard Senate Ag Cmte 05.20.21. Here is the link to the video of the hearing.