Natural Resources
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) released the following statement after Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue issued a memorandum to the United States Forest Service (USFS):
Some people say we're products of our environment. I only hope that's true for me. I've been blessed to spend my whole life here in the Natural State, hunting, fishing and enjoying the beauty of our wildlife. Since June is National Great Outdoors Month, I encourage you to use this time to explore new parks, lakes or hiking trails with friends and family.
Adjusting to the new normal of social isolation hasn't been easy, and we've all had to make sacrifices to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and healthy. But even though many of us are staying home, that doesn't mean you have to stay inside! There's a reason Arkansas is the Natural State, and you can enjoy a lot of that natural beauty from your own yard.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) hosted a press conference on H.R. 5859, the Trillion Trees Act. U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) also attended the event.
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a legislative hearing on the Trillion Trees Act (U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.).
H.R. 5859 establishes forest management, reforestation, and utilization practices which lead to the sequestration of greenhouse gases.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) gave the following testimony during a House Committee on Natural Resources legislative hearing on H.R. 5859, the Trillion Trees Act:
"Chairman Grijalva, Ranking Member Bishop, fellow colleagues, thank you for the opportunity today to testify on my bill, H.R. 5859, the Trillion Trees Act. This legislation represents a pragmatic first step in addressing global carbon emissions, emphasizing natural carbon sequestration through reforestation, forest management, and sustainable harvest and utilization.
If you've ever spent time around me, you'll know it's no secret that I love talking about trees. I still remember conversations with my Sunday school teacher, Mr. Culpepper, a WWII veteran and member of the first forestry class at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He's the one who ignited my love of forestry, and I've been thinking about him a lot lately as I've written the Trillion Trees Act. What Mr. Culpepper – or anyone who remembers their eighth-grade biology class – would tell you is that trees are some of the most powerful carbon capture devices we have.
Take a moment to think back to your eighth-grade science class. Do you remember painstakingly coloring in the diagram of a plant cell? Words like "mitochondria" and "ribosome" may bring back vivid memories of trying to cram everything in the night before a test. But there's one particular part of a cell upon which every ecosystem in the world depends: the chloroplast.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) introduced the Trillion Trees Act, legislation that would plant 1 trillion trees globally by 2050 and incentivize the use of wood products as carbon sequestration devices. U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and David Joyce (R-Ohio) all joined the bill as original cosponsors.
If you've driven in Southwest Arkansas for any length of time, you've probably gotten stuck behind a log truck for a few miles. These trucks, stacked high with freshly cut trees, represent just one link in a long chain of timber production. As a forester by trade, I always look forward to Forest Products Week each year, since it's a dedicated time to celebrate the advancement of sustainable forestry from seed to sawmill.