U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) joined several Republican colleagues on Feb. 12 to introduce legislation that would establish forest management, reforestation and utilization practices to naturally help sequester harmful greenhouse gases.
“Trees are nature’s solution to cleaning excess carbon from the atmosphere,” Rep. Stauber said. “I am proud to help encourage communities across our nation to plant trees and properly manage forests.”
Rep. Stauber is an original cosponsor of the Trillion Trees Act, H.R. 5859, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). The bill also would set the goal to plant a trillion trees by 2050 to help sequester carbon at a cost-effective and faster rate.
Among the members joining Rep. Stauber as original cosponsors of H.R. 5859 are U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Andy Barr (R-KY), Don Bacon (R-NE), Steve Stivers (R-OH), and Dave Joyce (R-OH).
The legislation also would benefit some of Rep. Stauber’s home-state constituents.
“I am proud to stand with our loggers in introducing this legislation, as the forest and paper industry is a cornerstone of northern Minnesota’s economy,” he said. “The legislation will increase our logging output, rightfully recognize the carbon neutrality of biomass, and provide a commonsense solution to carbon in the atmosphere without needlessly driving up the cost of energy.”
Rep. Westerman pointed out that “since wood continues storing carbon long after the tree is cut down and turned into furniture or building materials, there is no limit to how much carbon we can sequester.”