Today, Congressman Blake Moore (UT-01) introduced the Forest TECH Improvement Act to create a five-year pilot program to study and accelerate the deployment and integration of advanced technologies, such as drones, for reforestation activities. This will enable us to meet our national goals under the Trillion Trees Initiative, which seeks to plant and conserve one trillion trees by 2030. According to a study published in Science Magazine, meeting this goal would sequester 205 gigatons of carbon, or about two-thirds of all manmade emissions in the atmosphere today.
“I am thrilled to introduce the Forest TECH Improvement Act as we seek to integrate innovative technology into our critical reforestation efforts,” said Congressman Blake Moore. “Forests are our best resource for removing carbon from the atmosphere, and it is imperative that we utilize advanced technologies to quickly plant more trees, accurately track growth rates, and effectively manage our forests.”
The Forest TECH Improvement Act would also promote the acceleration and integration of geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technologies like LiDAR so that we can better identify reforestation needs and the total amount of carbon sequestered in our forests.
This legislation is cosponsored by Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Congressman Mike Simpson (ID-02), Congressman Garret Graves (LA-06), and Congressman Burgess Owens (UT-04). This bill has also received support from organizations including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, the National Wildlife Federation, the American Forest Resource Council, the Federal Forest Resource Coalition, and the American Conservation Coalition.
