AJR 24, as introduced, Dahle. Forest protection and restoration.
This measure would encourage state and federal agencies with jurisdiction over forest resource management to collaborate across jurisdictions with regard to landscape-scale efforts to maintain and restore California’s forests to protect the state’s natural resources and water supply for future generations.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, One of the greatest ongoing challenges for
2California is to ensure an adequate supply of water for myriad
3human uses and other environmental needs while also addressing
4the increasing and negative impacts of climate change on our
5watersheds; and
6WHEREAS, The large majority of the water used by California
7originates in the 10 million-acre forested area of northern California
8feeding the Sacramento River, with the Sacramento River providing
960 percent of the water for the Central Valley and state water
10projects, drinking water for 25 million Californians, and over 80
11percent of the freshwater to San Francisco Bay; and
P2 1WHEREAS, California’s forests represent our largest, safest,
2and most expandable opportunity to actively remove carbon dioxide
3from the atmosphere; and
4WHEREAS, The forests and watersheds of California face
5multiple challenges and pressures, including the loss and
6degradation of forests by the subdivision, fragmentation, and
7development of lands, the planting of unnaturally dense forests as
8a result of fire suppression, and stresses from a changing climate;
9and
10WHEREAS, California’s forests provide an essential natural
11infrastructure that collects, stores, filters, and transports water in
12a materially more cost-effective manner than any built
13infrastructure; and
14WHEREAS, Managing these forested watersheds to restore and
15enhance their sustained water provision services will also create
16rural jobs and enhance the state’s ability to address climate change,
17including by reducing fire-fighting costs; and
18WHEREAS, In addition to supplying the majority of the state’s
19water and sequestering vast amounts of carbon, forests clean our
20air and provide habitat for wildlife, all while supporting rural
21economies through outdoor recreation such as hunting, fishing,
22hiking, and camping, as well as through the forest products
23industry; and
24WHEREAS, Preventing further loss of California’s forests,
25restoring degraded forest areas, and improving management are
26critical parts of ensuring that our watersheds continue to store
27carbon and produce high-quality clean water in the future; now,
28therefore, be it
29Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
30California, jointly, That the Legislature of California recognizes
31the value of forests in providing critical ecosystem services,
32including water supply and climate stabilization services; and be
33it further
34Resolved, That the state and federal governmental agencies with
35jurisdiction over forest resource management are encouraged to
36collaborate across jurisdictions with regard to landscape-scale
37efforts to maintain and restore California’s forests to protect the
38state’s natural resources and water supply for future generations;
39and be it further
P3 1Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
2of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
3States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
4Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, to the Majority
5Leader of the Senate, to the Minority Leader of the Senate, and to
6each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress
7of the United States.
O
99