The Green Budget

The Green Budget highlights the environmental and conservation communities’ Fiscal Year 2013 National Funding Priorities. The Green Budget, prepared annually by a coalition of national environmental and conservation organizations, illustrates how federal investments can help meet the environmental challenges of a changing climate, develop our clean energy resources, and sustain our nation’s lands, waters, and other natural resources.

Contributing Organizations

Alaska Wilderness League • American Bird Conservancy •

American Forests • American Hiking Society • American Rivers •

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies • Bat Conservation

International • Chesapeake Bay Foundation • Defenders of

Wildlife • Earth Day Network • Environment America •

Environmental Defense Fund • Friends of the Earth • League of

Conservation Voters • Marine Conservation Institute • Marine

Fish Conservation Network • National Audubon Society •

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation • National Parks

Conservation Association • National Wildlife Refuge

Association • Natural Resources Defense Council • National

Tribal Environmental Council • National Trust For Historic

Preservation • National Wildlife Federation • Ocean

Conservancy • Physicians For Social Responsibility • Population

Action International • Restore America’s Estuaries • Sierra Club •

Smart Growth America • The Trust For Public Land • Union of

Concerned Scientists • U.S. Climate Action Network • The

Wilderness Society • World Wildlife Fund

2012 Appropriations Testimony

  • American Forests’ FY2012 House Interior Approps Testimony 3-28-2011

Every year American Forests submits testimony to the Appropriations Committee regarding the organization’s interest in certain federal programs. FY2012 focused on a number of USDA Forest Service programs including:

Anti-environmental Riders for FY2012

American Forests is part of a coalition of environmental and conservation groups advocating strongly against the anti-environmental riders included in the FY2012 appropriations legislation. This is a synopsis of every rider and their updated status as of 12/21/11.

Forests in the Farm Bill

American Forests is an active member of the Forests in the Farm Bill (FIFB) Coalition, a group of over 70 organizations representing millions of forest owners, conservationists, hunters, anglers, forest product manufacturers, and natural resource professionals.  This coalition put forth recommendations for the 2012 Farm Bill centered on four key areas: improving conservation programs for forests; strengthening forestry outreach, education, research, and inventory programs; combating forest-related invasive species; and improving forest market opportunities.

Forest Service Planning Rule

The USDA Forest Service Planning Rule was established in1982, and the same version is still in use today. In early 2011, the agency released a new Planning Rule draft and Environmental Impact Statement. National and regional meetings were held to provide the public with information about the proposed rule and to respond to questions. A 90-day comment period also provided more opportunity for public input on the draft rule.

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program

A national report released November 7, 2011 on first-year results of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) revealed impressive returns for forests, jobs, water, and wildlife. In 2010 the federal program split $10 million among ten projects on National Forests throughout the country.