USDA announces climate-smart forestry project

The US Department of Agriculture is investing $20 million in a project to bring climate-smart forest practices to Tacoma.

The project was announced at the TUPAC Community Center in the city’s Hilltop community and is part of a larger effort to find ways to expand markets for climate-smart commodities like cross-laminated timber.

The project aims to educate early adopters of the policies on the benefits of climate-smart forest practices.

Forterra CEO Michelle Connor says these materials could be used to address Tacoma’s need for affordable housing while establishing a relationship with Tribal lands that isn't based on exploitation and extraction.

“This grant will allow us to have climate smart commodities that tie together our most rural communities, our Indigenous and environmental knowledge, with the heart and soul of neighborhoods like Hilltop,” she said.

Forterra says it’s already begun that process by unveiling a prototype that shows what housing in the Hilltop could look like under this new framework.

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[spencerbrown]

Yes that sounds good in theory but, will it actually come to fruition? Or will someone just pocket the funding like most typical government projects 😑

[augistineaquinas]

gotta respect nature. if u struggle with that, do it like ur life depends on it! because it sorta does. XD

[baremetalmafia]

Still bullshit. USDA Shouldn’t exhaust and the don’t have authority to do this either.

[TheChopf]

People dont want to live in apartments.

[oper]

If such construction transpires, will regulations follow to PREVENT private equity firms, foreign buyers who don’t live in the US, or have a Visa permit to work here in the US, or green card, from buying up all the inventory and run up the housing prices once again. Creating an affordable housing option is great. But please reserve the real estate buying options to those who actually reside here and have permission to live here with approved US residence rules.