Video & Transcript Research : 'urban forestry'

Page 1 of 229
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Agriculture and Forestry Committee Mar 5th, 2025

Agriculture and Forestry

Transcript Highlights:
  • As state forester, I often come before the forestry committee, but I did think it was important to bring
Bills: HB352
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

AEN-WLA, AEN Public Hearings 02-11-2026

Agriculture and Environment

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, I'm our state urban and community forester, and DILNR stands on its written testimony, which I won't
  • trees that really do provide the majority of benefits that we enjoy in the places where we live, our urban
  • trees that really do provide the majority of benefits that we enjoy in the places where we live, our urban
  • 00:10:57.519> our in the the places where we live, our in the the places where we live, our urban
  • urban areas. urban areas. >> Thank<00:10:59.360> you. >> Thank you.
Summary: The committee heard several measures related to agriculture, invasive species control, trees, reef protection, and land use. SP 2489 would require Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity leases to include access, invasive-species control, and termination provisions; DAB and DLNR supported it, as did several outside groups, while the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council raised concerns about notice, cooperation with lessees, and placing penalties on leaseholders for preexisting infestations. The chair noted six testifiers in support, one opposed, and three with comments. SP 2310 would appropriate funds to remove overgrown vegetation from the Kohola stream. DAB supported the bill but explained that the work already completed by its contractor stopped at a DOT boundary, and that the affected parcel appears to be a DOT highway segment on ceded lands; the committee discussed whether the appropriation should instead go to DOT. SP 2372, on exceptional and significant trees, received support from DNR and Outdoor Circle, with testimony describing trees as critical infrastructure and suggesting technical amendments to committee membership and the process for recommending trees to county councils. SP 2426, which would authorize DNR to contract with private parties to maintain sunscreen dispensers at state beaches and promote mineral-based sunscreen as reef-protective, drew support from DNR and reef advocates, while another witness questioned the science behind claims about mineral versus chemical sunscreens and urged broader environmental solutions. SP 2334 would impose a land conversion fee on agricultural land converted to other uses, create a fee fund for programs including healthy soils, and require state agricultural lands to use a conservation metric. DAB offered comments, and testimony from climate and farm groups generally supported the conservation goals but questioned references to programs not yet in place and objected to language excluding solar and wind uses, with one witness urging that agri-voltaics remain allowed. SP 2925, concerning coconut trees, would recognize them as food, water, and cultural resources, require signage for landscape palms, set labeling standards, and create a tax credit for naturally managed consumable coconut trees. DAB shifted from opposition to comments, DNR supported, and testimony from cultural and subsistence advocates strongly backed the bill as a response to coconut rhinoceros beetle impacts; committee questions focused on enforcement of signage, inspection resources, and the proposed tax credit.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm the Forestry Program Manager for the Forestry Program at the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, DLNR
  • the I'm the Forestry Program Manager for the Forestry<00:34:19.720> Program<00:34:20.159>
  • at the Division of Forestry Program at the Division of Forestry<00:34:21.480> and<00:34:21.600
  • We're going Forestry and Wildlife, DLNR.
  • urban interface. urban interface.
Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on March 31, 2026, and heard testimony on several resolutions. HCR 13/HR 50, which asks DLNR to work with DOE and the Public Charter School Commission on a student coral stewardship program, drew comments from DLNR, which said it stood on written testimony and had proposed amendments, and from supporters in the room. HCR 61, urging investment in reforestation policies, workforce, nursery capacity, and related support for public and private lands, received strong support from DLNR and multiple testifiers, including members of a reforestation policy hui, a resident, and others who emphasized watershed protection, flood and fire resilience, and the need to upgrade nursery infrastructure and staffing. Committee members asked questions about nursery modernization, staffing, island-specific needs, and whether reforestation could reduce wildfire impacts; the DLNR witness said all islands need investment, with especially large opportunities on Hawaiʻi Island, and that healthier forests improve resilience though they cannot eliminate climate-related risks. The committee then heard HCR 136/HR 128 on wildland-urban interface safety standards for Maui plantation towns, but no one testified. It also heard HCR 185/HR 175, which urges denial of permits for ICE detention-related warehouses; Chris Coffey of Immua Alliance testified in support, saying migrant survivors of exploitation are harmed when ICE detains people and that Hawaii would not be the first place to take such action, citing examples from other states and cities. In questioning, members explored whether a local facility would keep people closer to families and services or instead increase local detention; Coffey said detention generally cuts off access to services and can intensify fear, and that a local facility could incentivize more detention and make survivors less likely to come forward. Finally, the committee heard HCR 155/HR 147 supporting the Hawaii Water Safety Coalition’s Hawaii Water Safety Act. Testifiers included Allison Shapera, who described the statewide water safety plan, Hawaii’s high drowning rate, the economic and human costs of drownings, and her personal loss of her daughter in a preventable drowning; Kirsten Hermstead and Kalani Vierra of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association said the plan’s recommendations need legislative recognition to help with implementation and grant funding; and Jessamine Town Horner testified by Zoom as a co-founder and bereaved family advocate. The transcript provided does not show any votes or final committee actions on the measures discussed.
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee, February 24, 2026

Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • time in my career working in forestry time in my career working in forestry and<00:03:22.080>
  • the state forestry has a long<00:04:58.720> history<00:04:59.040> here<00:04:59.280>
  • State forestry has implemented projects similar to this, what's proposed in this bill, years ago when
  • State forestry has implemented projects similar to this, what's proposed in this bill, years ago when
  • state forestry and our federal partners. state forestry and our federal partners.
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

House Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee, February 24, 2026

Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:36:42.480> Good covered with Wyoming State Forestry Good covered with Wyoming State Forestry
  • I'm the assistant state forester for operations with Wyoming State Forestry Division.
  • This year, state forestry in the past.
  • So through state forestry, this is giving us a voice at the federal table.
  • Uh so through state forestry, this you.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama House Agriculture and Forestry Committee Jan 21st, 2026

Agriculture and Forestry

Transcript Highlights:
  • Forestry first committee of the year. Brother Curtis, would you...
  • Scott here, that's attorney with the Forestry Commission, and he could help us with it.
  • Scott here, that's an attorney with the Forestry Commission, and he could help us with it.
  • Everything here directly involves the Forestry Commission and statutes. So that is the connector.
  • Everything here directly involves the Forestry Commission and statutes. So that is the connector.
Bills: HB267, HB271, HB267, HB271