WASHINGTON – The Community Forestry Conservation Act of 2009 was introduced last week by Congressman Mike Thompson and a bipartisan group of representatives and senators, including Congressmen Dave Reichert (R-WA), Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Supported by a broad coalition of environmentalists, private landowners and the timber industry, this bill was introduced to protect private forestland from development while keeping intact private property rights, and the jobs and businesses that are tied to the land.

“The current tax code makes it hard for conservation organizations to manage and restore our forests,” said Congressman Thompson. “This bill is important for the health of our forests and forest jobs.”

“A massive forest ownership conversion has taken place with nearly 84% of America’s industrial forests changing hands in the past 12 years,” said Tom Tuchmann, President of Portland, Oregon-based US Forest Capital. “Notwithstanding the economic downturn, transaction activity remains strong, creating opportunities for large-scale conservation purchases. With funding for such purchases being the limiting factor, tools such as these Community Forestry Bonds will be of benefit to all.”

Fast action is needed. While deforestation has been balanced by reforestation of agriculture lands in recent decades, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that 23 million acres of forestland will be lost by 2050. There are multiple reasons for this trend, including the still significantly more lucrative residential and commercial real estate market, tax policy, global competition, loss of mill infrastructure and changing inter-generational demographics.

“The Bible says we shall reap what we sow and this legislation will enable nonprofit organizations to sow forest lands with seeds of conservation and forest management that will protect and preserve forests for generations to come,” Rep. McDermott, a senior Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said.

California’s Redwood Forest Foundation’s recent acquisition of the Usal Redwood Forest was one community’s response to these massive ownership changes. “The Foundation would like to thanks Congressman Thompson for his leadership on this important issue,” said Art Harwood, Executive Director of the Redwood Forest Foundation. “Community Forestry Bonds will provide RFFI and our communities with a funding tool that will keep our forests working for the economic, environmental and social attributes they provide”.

The bill is supported by an unusual coalition among conservation, timber and financial interests and simply modifies the tax code to allow municipal revenue bonds to be issued on behalf of a organizations like RFFI to purchase tracts of land. Such acquisition protects the land from development and fragmentation while allowing jobs that depend on harvesting to continue.