The US Forest Service, in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters and the American Forest Foundation, announced last week that they will be joining in the UN celebration of the International Year of Forests 2011. The United States campaign is “Celebrate Forests. Celebrate Life.”
According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the celebration “provides an excellent platform to increase awareness of the connections between healthy forests, ecosystems, people and economies.” Forests are an important part of our culture, and provide numerous benefits to our society. They provide access to clean drinking water, recreational activities, clearer air to breathe, and jobs for many Americans. You also don’t have to live in the forest to appreciate trees, as they play an important role in urban life as well.
The UN International Year began last week, and the announcement of the International Year of Forests coincided with the ninth session of the UN Forum on Forests in New York City. The forum involves a wide range of activities from roundtable discussions with ministers and dignitaries to film screenings.
The focus on this year’s celebration is to raise awareness and inspire others to “sustainably manage and conserve the world’s trees and forests.” There will be events across the country on multiple levels to increase the level of awareness to this issue. Many of the already-popular events like Earth Day and Arbor Day will incorporate some aspect of the International Year of Forests celebration into their event.
You can learn more about the celebration and events on the UN’s website and read the official press release from the US Forest Service.
