Science-based protections for our future-working woodlands

As we have reviewed the past few months through this column, scientists are clearly recommending tree preservation as an important tool to combat climate change. Here at home, Sonoma County Supervisors are looking at updating our Tree Protection Ordinance, and there are serious upgrades needed to adjust to our new climate reality to meet the demands to curb a warming planet.

According to Aja Henry a 20-something and native of Sonoma County who is working with the Defend Our Working Forests committee and others to strengthen tree protections, “This is it, the biggest issue of our time.” She explains that, “Climate change action can take many forms. One of the easiest ways to keep harmful carbon dioxide out of the air is to leave carbon sequestering trees be.”

Currently, County of Sonoma policies are very permissive - meaning that many large acreages are not protected from sweeping tree removal proposals. Other areas are not protected insofar as if you pay a fee or promise to replace mature trees with 5 gallon trees for example you can clear off the older trees -which as we know are now vital to protect. This is true more now than ever as we look at the most effective ways to reverse our climate crisis- growing trees, forests, and woodlands to sequester atmospheric carbon.

The prime directive that we need to follow is to avoid the removal of mature trees and woodlands. Our past practices do not serve the times in which we are living and the future that we want to leave our children.

Henry goes on to say, “These trees have intrinsic and historical value and should remain in the ground for their ecosystem services and the species dependent on them. We need a temporary moratorium to stop tree cutting and take a closer look at the volume of trees we are clearcutting and what that means for our collective climate problem.”

In Washington state, the former Commissioners of State Lands, which reviews logging plans, launched a proposal to gradually stop all commercial harvest of state forests West of the Cascades, for what they see as a higher purpose: combating the climate crisis.

The Commissioners state that: "Nothing we currently know of works better than allowing trees to suck carbon from the atmosphere when they are living, and store it in their branches, roots and the forest soil for centuries after their death. Trees — especially mature forests — are the cheapest, fastest, most reliable form of carbon storage."

The movement to protect forests is happening and our county has the potential to be in the lead by respecting the science, and instituting science based policies.

In Sonoma County a natural place for trees to grow, we have an old problem- and that is an old outdated policy. It is critical, therefore, that we update our Sonoma County Tree Ordinance and we keep the scientific imperative in mind in relation to protection of mature woodlands, for they hold the key to sequestering carbon and all the other important ecological benefits that come along with healthy forests.

Kimberly Burr is a local environmental attorney from Forestville; Denny Rosatti is a public affairs consultant from Sebastopol. They are participants in the Defend Our Working Woodlands committee.