Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced legislation today aimed at reversing the rapid deforestation of Armenia and Haiti, seeking to restore Armenia’s native forests to their pre-1990 level within 10 years, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“We would like to thank Rep. Clark for her leadership in introducing forward-leaning legislation to promote a constructive U.S.-Armenia partnership for healthy, sustainable forest growth in Armenia,” said ANC Eastern Massachusetts Chair, Dr. Aram Kaligian. “We look forward to working closely with the Massachusetts Delegation and our community allies and coalition partners to secure the adoption of this common-sense measure.”
“We thank Senator Durbin, who was the first U.S. legislator to support sustainable Armenian and Haitian reforestation, including through the use of debt-forgiveness incentives to promote the growth of forest cover in both of these nations,” said ANC Illinois Chair Maral Vartanian Abrahamian. “The Haiti and Armenia Reforestation Act of 2018 – now introduced in both the Senate and House – sets clear timetables and establishes key benchmarks for progress toward vital reforestation initiatives in Armenia.”
The ANCA has launched an online action campaign in support of the Haiti and Armenia Reforestation Act of 2018, available at anca.org/forest.