ALC Action Alert – Support S. 3381

Dear ALC members and friends:

On Tuesday, May 17, 2010, Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), John Tester (D-MT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced a stand-alone bill (S. 3381) that would establish a single definition of renewable biomass for the purposes of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a future Renewable electricity Standard (RES), and climate change legislation.

The language in the bill is primarily based on the 2008 Farm Bill definition and includes woody biomass being harvested from both public and private lands.  The language is being supported by the American Loggers Council, the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) and other organizations representing forest landowners and timber harvesters to further develop markets for woody biomass as well as to ensure that our forests remain healthy, working forests.

The ALC and other organizations have been engaged in these discussions for several years, and now we need your help in making certain that the definition for renewable biomass in any existing or future energy bill will be as broad based as possible.  We are asking that you contact your Senators offices and ask them to support S. 3381 by becoming a cosponsor on the Bill.

Please send an email message to the ALC office at americanlogger@aol.com or simply call us at 409-625-0206 should you have any questions and/or comments.  We would appreciate any feedback that you can give us from the contacts that you have made.  This is our chance to place common sense language into present and future legislation as it refers to the definition of renewable biomass, don’t let the opportunity slip away.

View the Bill —>  Biomass_bill_S.3381_Baucus-Tester-Crapo[1]