Things That Are Being Done to Help With Deforestation

Land Protection

• Land protection helps prevent deforestation by ensuring that forested lands remain in forest use. Forest land protection can vary from outright acquisition by a government entity or conservation group to tax incentive programs such as conservation easements. National and state governments maintain forest lands and manage them for numerous objectives. Non-profit groups such as the Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund and many others raise funds to purchase and preserve forest land. Under tax incentive programs, landowners receive reduced property tax rates if they designate the land for conservation. Conservation easements often allow multi-use management of forest lands, including timber harvest, but restrict development and require sustainable forest management plans.

Policy

• Government policy impacts forests at the local, state, national and international level. Policy can determine how much forest land is protected, what uses of the land are allowed and how forests are used. For example, while National Forest lands in the United States are protected from development, timber harvest is one of the many uses for which National Forests are managed. Advocacy and conservation groups such as the Sierra Club and others lobby and consult with government officials to influence how publicly-owned forests are managed. For example, the Sierra Club has worked to advocate for the designation of specified National Forest areas as "roadless areas" in which new roads may not be constructed.

Sustainable Forest Practices

• Preventing deforestation does not necessarily mean no timber may be harvested. Working forests provide multiple uses, including watershed protection, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and timber. Sustainably-produced wood products can protect forest resources by helping to maintain forested land. Organizations such as the Forest Stewardship council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative certify lumber and other wood products as "sustainable." The sustainability certification tracks wood products back to forests that meet numerous sustainability criteria such as sustainable harvest practices, protection of wildlife habitats, water quality and consideration of local communities.

Restoration

• Returning deforested land to forests helps rebuild local landscapes and can offset loss of forest resources on a larger scale. Forest restoration projects include stabilizing soils, replanting trees and restoring damaged waterways. Groups such as the World Wildlife Fund, Carbonfund.Org and American Forests organize and fund reforestation projects around the world to help protect biological diversity, sequester carbon and to maintain other forest benefits.