Trees
New California Legislation ~
Ancient forests are old-growth forests, such as those in the Sierra Nevada. These majestic forests, thousands of years old, support unique ecosystems, play an important role in filtering our drinking water, help counter global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide and provide homes for countless rare and endangered species.
Ancient forest logging and illegal logging are destroying vast swaths of forest lands in California and worldwide. Less than 20 percent of the earth's ancient forests remain standing today, and that number is shrinking: An area of ancient forest the size of a soccer field is destroyed every two seconds.
AB 466, a bill authored by Assembly Member Darrell Steinberg and sponsored by Environment California, would ensure that California state agencies and school districts do not purchase wood made from trees taken from ancient forests. Wood suppliers bidding to fill state contracts would be required to include a statement assuring that their wood is not a product of ancient forests.
AB 466 is expected to come up for a vote in Assembly Appropriations Committee soon, and after that it will be headed to the Assembly floor. The timber industry has been lobbying hard against the bill. Please take a moment to ask your Assembly Member to support this bill and ban state purchases of wood taken from ancient forests.
http://environmentcalifornia.org/envirocalif.asp?id=459&id4=ES
