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CA Dept. of Forestry to Track and Report its GHG Emissions

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has joined the California Climate Action Registry, pledging to track, report, and certify its annual greenhouse gas emissions.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) has joined the California Climate Action Registry, a group of organizations demonstrating leadership by voluntarily taking action on climate change. As a member, CDF will work with the registry to annually track, report, and certify CDF's greenhouse gas emissions.

By participating in the program, CDF is showing its support for the work that the registry has done to create a role for California forests in the fight against climate change. The registry has developed the nation's first accounting standards for measuring and certifying carbon emissions and reductions via forest conservation, improved management practices, and reforestation. CDF can use the protocols to quantify the climate benefits of its forests and could ultimately receive a financial reward in the future for its stewardship.

"CDF is proud to become a member of the registry and is moving California closer to Governor Schwarzenegger's aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals," said Bill Snyder, CDF deputy director for resource management. "CDF appreciates the opportunity to work with the registry because California forests do play an important role in reducing the long-term effects of climate change. This move also provides the basis for forest landowners to recoup sufficient value from the forests to maintain ownership of working forests and delays their loss to other higher land-use values."

The registry, created by the California legislature in 2000, helps companies and organizations throughout the United States to track, publicly report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The results are certified by independent third-parties to ensure compliance with Registry protocols and standardization across participants and sectors. The Registry has been widely recognized as a gold standard for public reporting of greenhouse gases.

“Having CDF as a member of the registry further validates the work we have done to put California’s forests to work towards curbing global climate change” said Diane Wittenberg, president of the California Climate Action Registry. “Management of California’s forests plays a key role in the reduction of emissions that drive climate change.”

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