The Year of Forests in peril—U.S. House Republicans take aim at protecting forests
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House Republicans are set to make huge cuts this week to international forest conservation funds. Photo by Cocoabiscuit on Flickr.
The U.S. House of Representatives is in session this week and the Republican Party is looking to slash the Federal budget across the board, including devastatingly deep cuts for critical forest conservation programs.
In 2009 at the Copenhagen climate summit, Obama pledged to give $1 billion in federal funding over a three year period for forest conservation programs to support REDD (click the link if you’re not familiar with what Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation is all about, or watch the video!)—not only did Obama’s proposed 2011 budget fall short of this promise, but if the House Republican’s have their way, hardly any U.S. money will be made available for protecting global forests and reducing CO2 emissions from deforestation. Already the House republicans have pledged to cut Obama’s budget for international climate funding by 50%.
But the news this week only gets worse.
The Republicans’ version of the 2011 budget is looking to cut funding for REDD and forestry conservation by any means necessary. This includes slashing funding to key international financing programs like the Global Environment Facility and the Climate Investment Funds, international programs which help support innumerable conservation and climate-related projects and initiatives around the globe who depend on money from wealthy countries like the United States.
Of course, the Democrat-led U.S. Senate and President Obama will have a chance to block the House version of the 2011 budget and help protect our forests. Considering 2011 is the International Year of Forests, it would be appalling if the House version of the budget were approved.
You can take action! Call your State Representatives and demand that forest funding be protected in the new Federal budget!
