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Nonprofit conservation organizations could potentially use bonds to buy private, working forests for sustainable harvesting if Congress adopts a bipartisan bill introduced last week.
U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson of California and Dave Reichert of Washington submitted the bill in hopes of providing a way to both protect land and allow timber harvesting to continue.
“The idea is to conserve forestlands for the purpose of cutting trees,” Thompson said in a phone interview with The Daily Triplicate last week. His First Congressional District includes Del Norte County.
By providing tax benefits to landowners who choose conservation, the bill would help preserve our nation's cherished farm lands and open spaces for future generations.
The bill has received broad bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, with 251 original co-sponsors.
North America's top providers of on-board commercial vehicle safety systems have come out in support of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Advanced Safety Technology Tax Act of 2011, introduced recently by Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif.
The bill, HR 1706, would provide an income tax credit for proven advanced safety technologies to owners of commercial trucks, buses and commercial motor vehicle fleets.
The panel backed, by voice vote, the measure (HR 1892) that would authorize classified funding for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. government. The recently passed 2011 intelligence authorization bill (HR 754) was estimated to authorize just over $80 billion.
Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Jim Gerlach (R-PA) today introduced the Conservation Easement Incentive Act, landmark legislation that would provide family farmers, ranchers, and other moderate-income landowners with a permanent incentive to donate development rights to their land. By providing tax benefits to landowners who choose conservation, the bill would help preserve our nation's cherished farm lands and open spaces for future generations. The bill has received broad bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, with 251 original co-sponsors.
Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Reichert (R-WA) today introduced the bipartisan Community Forestry Conservation Act (H.R. 1982), which would enable non-profit conservation organizations to use bonds to purchase private, working forests for long-term environmental and economic sustainability management. A broad coalition of conservationists, private landowners, and the timber industry endorsed the legislation for its pragmatic approach to balancing conservation and business interests.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) on Friday introduced H.R. 2286, the Renewable Energy Parity Act of 2011, bipartisan legislation that would ensure all renewable energy sources are able to compete in the growing market for renewable and alternative energy fuels.
Under current tax law, some renewable energy technologies are only eligible for part of an existing federal tax credit for the development of alternative energy sources.
Thompson's bill would level the playing field by extending the full tax credit amount to qualifying renewable energy technologies.
The grant will help fund positions that "were lost due to attrition and remained vacant in response to the fiscal challenges that have impacted Woodland and all local governments," Deven said in a news release.
With the city struggling economically, Mayor Art Pimentel -- and other officials -- welcomed the grant with open arms.
As the Associated Press pushes for the release of reportedly graphic photographs of Osama bin Laden's corpse, North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said releasing them is a bad idea.
”I think it would be very harmful,” said Thompson, who recently viewed the photographs at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. “I don't think we should be doing anything that puts the men and women serving our country at any greater risk than they're already at.”