Dogwood Alliance Inc

DOGWOOD ALLIANCE ADVANCES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE ACTION BY MOBILIZING DIVERSE VOICES TO PROTECT SOUTHERN FORESTS AND COMMUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL LOGGING.

OUR FORESTS AREN'T FUEL (OFAF) - POLICY MAKERS IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES ARE PROMOTING THE BURNING OF WOOD AS A RENEWABLE CLIMATE FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE COAL FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION UNDER THE GUISE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY EVEN THOUGH THE SCIENCE DOCUMENTS THAT BURNING WOOD RELEASES MORE CARBON THAN COAL PER UNIT OF ELECTRICITY GENERATED AND FURTHER DEGRADES FORESTS. - OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE FORESTS OF THE SOUTHERN US HAVE BEEN THE TARGET OF THIS GROWING GLOBAL MARKET. IN RESPONSE, IN 2013 DOGWOOD ALLIANCE, LAUNCHED THE OUR FORESTS ARENT FUEL CAMPAIGN EDUCATING AND ACTIVATING CITIZENS, POLICY MAKERS AND INDUSTRY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC TO STOP THE FURTHER EXPANSION OF THIS INDUSTRY. - THE OUR FORESTS AREN'T FUEL CAMPAIGN CONTINUED TO BE A MAJOR FOCUS OF WORK IN 2021 LEVERAGING SIGNIFICANT RESULTS. DESPITE THE BACKDROP OF AN ONGOING GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, STATE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONCERN ABOUT INDUSTRIAL BIOMASS GREW SIGNIFICANTLY, AS COMMUNITIES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PUBLICLY CHALLENGED THE INDUSTRY'S "RENEWABLEX AND"SUSTAINABLE" CLAIMS. - DURING THE YEAR THE CUT CARBON NOT FORESTS (CCNF) CAMPAIGN THAT WE RUN WITH PARTNERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM CONTINUES TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. THE CCFN PETITION ASKING THE UK GOVERNMENT TO END THE BURNING OF TREES, STANDS AT NEARLY 30,000 SIGNATURES, OVER 20 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (MPS) HAVE ALLIED WITH THE CCNF CAMPAIGN, AND THE CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURED A MEMBER OF THE UKS CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE TO STEP AWAY DUE TO THEIR TIES WITH THE BIOMASS INDUSTRY. - OUR WORK IN THE NETHERLANDS WITH LOCAL PARTNERS HAS ALSO RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT SHIFTS. DUE TO ONGOING CAMPAIGN, MEDIA AND CITIZEN PRESSURE THE NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT HALTED NEW SUBSIDIES FOR WOODY BIOMASS UNTIL A COMPLETE BIOMASS PHASE-OUT PLAN IS COMPLETED AND IN PROCESS. WE EXPECT THIS PLAN TO BE RELEASED IN 2022, SIGNALING AN END DATE TO WOOD PELLET IMPORTS TO THE NETHERLANDS. - IN OUR FOCUS AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA, OUR CAMPAIGN AND ORGANIZING RESULTED IN COMMUNITY LEADERS, A COALITION OF OVER 50 ORGANIZATIONS AND NEARLY 3000 CITIZEN PETITION SIGNATURES FROM NORTH CAROLINA DEMANDING THAT GOVERNOR ROY COOPER TAKE ACTION ON THE WOOD PELLET BIOMASS INDUSTRY. IN RESPONSE TO THIS, AND GROWING PRESSURE FROM ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES, THE GOVERNOR SUBMITTED AND SIGNED (JAN 7TH) AN EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLEAN ENERGY. THE EO CONTAINS SEVERAL CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES INCLUDING PROGRESS TOWARDS ADDRESSING CUMULATIVE IMPACTS AND UPDATING THE STATE'S GHG INVENTORY. - OUR WORK WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN ROBESON COUNTY, NC TO STOP ANOTHER WOOD PELLET MILL HAS RESULTED IN THE FACILITY CONTINUALLY BEING DELAYED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, DESPITE HAVING THEIR PERMITS APPROVED, WHICH IS A HUGE SUCCESS. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE ORGANIZING IN AND SUPPORTING COMMUNITY EFFORTS IN 4 OUT OF THE 5 NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES WHERE A WOOD PELLET FACILITY IS SITED. - ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, OUR CAMPAIGN HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER A COALITION OF COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE US SOUTH TO ENGAGE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL, CLIMATE AND COMMUNITY IMPACTS OF WOOD PELLET FACILITIES AND INDUSTRIAL LOGGING ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE US SOUTH. AS A RESULT WE NOW HAVE TOP OFFICIALS AT USDA AND EPA ENGAGING REGULARLY WITH OUR COALITION AND THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO CONDUCTING A TOUR OF IMPACTED COMMUNITIES IN 2022. - THROUGHOUT 2021, MEDIA OUTLETS CONTINUED TO LOOK TO DOGWOOD ALLIANCE AND OUR PARTNERS AS EXPERTS ON WOOD-PELLET BIOMASS AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. OUR CAMPAIGN AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WERE FEATURED IN MAJOR STORIES IN CNN, NYTS, POLITICO, ABC NEWS, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, NEW YORKER, HUFFINGTON POST, SLATE, AND NPR-NC.

FORESTS AND CLIMATE (F&C) - THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT GAVE THE WORLD A CHARGE: DECARBONIZE ALL ENERGY SECTORS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE AIR. THE BEST AND MOST COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE TO REMOVE CARBON FROM OUR ATMOSPHERE RIGHT NOW LIES IN THE POWER OF FORESTS. STANDING FORESTS ARE THE NATURAL LIFE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED TO MITIGATE THE WORST IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND PROTECT THOSE MOST PROFOUNDLY IMPACTED, OFTEN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. LOGGING IN THE US RELEASES LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DEGRADING THE NATIONS FORESTS ABILITY TO PROVIDE CRITICAL CLIMATE BENEFITS. - DESPITE THESE FACTS, FOREST PROTECTION CONTINUES TO REMAIN ON THE SIDELINES OF THE NATIONAL CLIMATE AGENDA AND RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY IN THE US. DOGWOOD ALLIANCES GROUNDBREAKING FOREST AND CLIMATE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO SHIFT THIS DYNAMIC, BY ELEVATING THE CLIMATE, FOREST AND COMMUNITY IMPACTS CREATED BY INDUSTRIAL LOGGING IN THE US, WHILE PROVIDING CONSERVATION SOLUTIONS THAT PLACE THE NEEDS OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED AT THE FOREFRONT. - DOGWOOD ALLIANCE HAS CONTINUED TO BE A NATIONAL LEADER, WORKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF FORESTS, CLIMATE AND JUSTICE. OUR FOCUS ON DEEPENING PARTNERSHIPS AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CREATED OPPORTUNITIES TO INFLUENCE POLICY AND POLICY MAKERS AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL. - IN 2021, OUR INFLUENCE GREW THROUGH THE RELEASE OF THE SOUTHERN COMMUNITIES FOR A GREEN NEW DEAL PLATFORM WITH OVER 300 SIGNATORY ORGANIZATIONS. THIS PLATFORM ELEVATES WOOD PRODUCTION/LOGGING AS A TOP TIER CLIMATE JUSTICE ISSUE, MAKING IT ONE OF THE FIRST TO DO SO. THIS PLATFORM WAS LAUNCHED AT A CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING HOSTED BY CONGRESSMAN DOLALD MCEACHERN (D-VA) AND WILL BE USED TO INFLUENCE STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY IN 2022 AND BEYOND. - WITH OUR ALLIES FROM ACROSS THE US WE LAUNCHED A NATIONAL PETITION ASKING PRESIDENT BIDEN TO TAKE ACTION ON US FORESTS, CLIMATE AND JUSTICE. THE PETITION GENERATED OVER 75,000 SIGNATURES IN 2021 AND WILL BE PLANNED TO BE RELEASED IN 2022. - IN GEORGIA, OUR CAMPAIGN HELPED SECURE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY FOR THE OKEFENOKEE PROTECTION LEGISLATION WHICH PROTECTS THE OKEFENOKEE SWAMP. THE LEGISLATION WILL BE DEBATED IN Q1 2022.

COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS (CS) - IN 2021 WE EXPANDED OUR FOCUS WORK TO PROTECT WETLAND FORESTS THROUGH THE WETLAND FOREST INITIATIVE INTO A MORE INCLUSIVE AND STRATEGIC APPROACH OF EXPANDING WETLAND CONSERVATION, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGHOUT THE US SOUTH. WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO PROTECT WETLAND FORESTS IN THE US SOUTH THAT SPAN NEARLY 35 MILLION ACRES ACROSS 14 STATES AND ARE CRITICAL FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY. - IN ADDITION TO THE WETLAND FORESTS INITIATIVE OUR COMMUNITY CONSERVATION MODEL IS ADVANCING FOREST CONSERVATION THROUGH THE LENS OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IMPACTED COMMUNITIES IN CLIMATE VULNERABLE LOCATIONS, OUR WORK USES SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS, NOT JUST ENVIRONMENTAL, TO DEFINE THE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES. OUR GOAL IS TO ADVANCE A NON-EXTRACTIVE, REGENERATIVE ECONOMY THAT IS BASED ON ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, COMMUNITY PROTECTION, EQUITABLE PARTNERSHIPS, AND JUSTICE. - IN 2021, WE HELD TWO MAJOR EVENTS WITH THE PEE DEE INDIAN TRIBE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, CELEBRATING THE ACQUISITION OF NEARLY 40 ACRES OF WETLAND FORESTS AND THE CREATION OF A NEW CULTURAL CENTER. SEVERAL STATE REPRESENTATIVES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA ARE ENGAGED IN THE PROJECT.