Trust for Public Land: Forests Can Help New England Thrive in the New Economy

In a recent report, sixty organizations urged lawmakers to help meet New England’s economic challenges by investing in the region’s forests, and outlined six critical federal policy opportunities to conserve New England’s forests for economic and environmental benefit.

According to the Trust for Public Land, the report, A Policy Agenda for Conserving New England’s Forests, is released at a time when forest cover is declining in all six New England states. Conversion of the region’s forests threatens drinking water and flood control, the forest-based economy, and capacity for natural climate regulation. New England’s forests are the headwaters for all of the Northeast’s major rivers, controlling floods and protecting drinking water for millions of people. The region’s 33 million acres of forest support a $13 billion forest products economy, including almost 52,000 jobs in Maine, and store vast quantities of carbon to offset more than a quarter of New England's carbon dioxide emissions.

To access a copy of this report, please visit:

The Trust for Public Land: A Policy Agenda for Conserving New England's Forests