Monica Huang reviewed and summarized a bill currently under consideration in washington. Thanks Monica! (http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2019-20/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6355-S.pdf?q=20200207133116):
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The bill recognizes the importance of how “natural and working lands” can be used to assist with the state and global climate response strategy. It references the IPCC and UN reports, which recommend expanding forestlands and sustainable management techniques as strategies for maintenance and enhance carbon sequestration.
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The policy aim is to promote and invest in industry sectors that sequester carbon, supporting their economic vitality
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The state treasury will have a forest carbon reforestation and afforestation account, which will be used as grant money to advance the state’s carbon sequestration goals. Grants will be awarded based on a competitive process. Project types include reforestation, afforestation, planting forested buffers, and urban forest reforestation. This account can also be used for administrative costs and doing opportunity analyses
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The department can actively promote state forest products market if the promotion efforts support the forest sector’s contribution to climate change mitigation