Words of wisdom for the men who would be president: Let the forests work for us.

—By Deborah Gangloff, executive director

The mood of anticipation is high in Washington, DC, as we move towards the presidential elections this fall. American Forests is proud of our work with every presidential administration since 1875. We worked with Teddy Roosevelt to put conservation on the national agenda and with Franklin D. Roosevelt to put young people to work for the environment in the Civilian Conservation Corps. American Forests operates in a nonpartisan way to promote the cause of forest conservation (a term coined by our founder, John Aston Warder).

We have some advice for the men who would be president in this election year. Based on our nearly 130 years of advocacy for trees and forests, we want the next administration to benefit from our experience in the important ecological arena of trees and forests. Many issues of concern-loss of animal species, air and water pollution-have their origins in the loss of forest cover and the work those forests do to provide habitat and clean our air and water. These forest benefits, called ecosystem services, are provided by forests for free, and often cannot be replaced without substantial investment. Because they are free we've taken them for granted as cities develop or farms and forests convert to other uses.

American Forests believes that ecosystem services can become a new currency for promoting conservation of forests and forest ecosystems. We have pioneered tools to measure the value of ecosystem services and documented their contribution to local communities. Quantifying these services can help prevent the loss of trees and forests. But getting there requires a different way of thinking.

Consider forests not as natural resources but as natural capital. That endowment of minerals, plants, and animals provides oxygen and water filtration, prevents erosion, and produces food and fiber (ecosystem services) on which all life depends. Just as interest accrues to financial assets, ecosystem services accrue to natural capital and can be used indefinitely if the original capital is preserved.

Air and water quality, energy conservation, species diversity, and global climate change should be priorities for the next administration. Trees and forests can contribute significantly to resolving these challenges, but only if they are healthy.

Flooding is a challenge to species health and a testament to the power of ecosystem services. On page 32 we look at changes in Roanoke, Virginia, after an urban ecosystem analysis. Knowing their urban forest provided millions in stormwater control spurred the residents to revise public policy and budget additional funds for trees planting and care.

New Mexico activist George Ramirez, our Earthkeeper, founded Las Humanas to train people to correctly thin trees on national forest land. Now there's a locally trained skilled workforce, residents have access to firewood, and the forests have lower risk of wildfire.

Further south in the Michoacan region of Mexico, illegal logging has opened a thick canopy of fir and pine trees and spelled disaster for millions of Monarch butterflies that overwinter there. This species is an ecosystem service that, while difficult to quantify, is surely considered priceless by anyone who takes pleasure in its beauty. What other species or intangibles might we lose from the violation of Michoacan's protected bioreserve?

American Forests believes once policy makers understand the ecosystem services provided by trees and forests-our natural capital-they'll advance conservation goals. We intend to help the presidential candidates and the next administration see how protecting the principle of our natural capital pays off in dividends that are ecological, social, and economic.

Deborah Gangloff is American Forests' executive director.[TOP]