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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Happy Earth Day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;">Today, on Earth Day, President Biden will sign an Executive Order to expand his Administration’s historic and bold
efforts to tackle the climate crisis, make our nation more resilient to extreme weather, and strengthen local economies. The President will sign the Executive Order in Seattle, Washington—rounding out a trip across the West focused on lowering costs for families
and protecting communities from intensifying climate impacts. Wildfires and extreme weather events are growing in frequency and ferocity, engulfing communities in the West and across the country and costing lives, homes, and money. Because President Biden
knows the cost of inaction is too great, he is taking bold executive action and reaffirming his calls on Congress to address the climate crisis. </span><br>
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</span><a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fbriefing-room%2Fstatements-releases%2F2022%2F04%2F22%2Ffact-sheet-president-biden-signs-executive-order-to-strengthen-americas-forests-boost-wildfire-resilience-and-combat-global-deforestation%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmargaret_park%40fws.gov%7Cc0e1bbbca2544590478008da2465f6c2%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637862317602913392%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NooHTZzvaIbIV750k%2F2zieluFbRI5ga7CZdCSt6%2Fysc%3D&reserved=0" data-auth="Verified" originalsrc="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-signs-executive-order-to-strengthen-americas-forests-boost-wildfire-resilience-and-combat-global-deforestation/" shash="Is4Ne2BeZMERrbpkq9T277DH35JJ36nkv7erWrp9Qzng/iebToXizNOU9x7ZWNIxkNF3rIhBBWUJZUa9Yg+n1KwwOVCzbI7eXAQhalnIa+ScMM9uaLIEro9EYbF8FKviM088rDQzb33xlktvr2Ah+vTzUZ88pXh5IpzKdzP827Y=" title="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-signs-executive-order-to-strengthen-americas-forests-boost-wildfire-resilience-and-combat-global-deforestation/" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">FACT
SHEET</a><font face="Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11pt">: President Biden Signs Executive Order to Strengthen America’s Forests, Boost Wildfire Resilience, and Combat Global Deforestation</span></font><br>
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Among the aims: </div>
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<li style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">Strengthen reforestation partnerships across the country</span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt"> </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">to
support local economies and ensure we retain forest ecosystems and sustainable supplies of forest products for years to come.</span></span></li><li style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">Enlist nature to address the climate crisis</span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt"> </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">with
comprehensive efforts to deploy nature-based solutions that reduce emissions and build resilience.</span></li><li style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; display:block">
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<span style="font-size:11pt; font-style:inherit; font-variant-ligatures:inherit; font-variant-caps:inherit">Among the efforts to achieve these aims:</span></div>
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<b style="font-size:11pt; font-style:inherit; font-variant-ligatures:inherit; font-variant-caps:inherit">Expanding Seed and Nursery Capacity:</b><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt"> USDA and DOI will address
a longstanding seed shortfall by developing a plan, in partnership with states, Tribes, and the private sector, to boost federal cone and seed collection and seedling nursery capacity. These actions will support tree-planting efforts by a range of public and
private partners. Expanding seed and nursery capacity is especially important for timberlands in the West that have been devastated by wildfire and need to be re-planted.</span><br>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(10,36,88); text-align:left; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Report
on Nature-Based Solutions:</strong></span><span style="margin:0px; font-size:16px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; color:rgb(10,36,88); text-align:left; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"> </span><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="margin:0px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important">develop
a report to the National Climate Task Force on key opportunities for greater deployment of nature-based solutions—everything from restoring marshes, to planting shade trees, to promoting drought-resistant crops.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:16px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; color:rgb(10,36,88); text-align:left; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="margin:0px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><br>
</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0); font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">
<div style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:16px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; color:rgb(10,36,88); text-align:left; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Guidance
on Valuing Nature:</strong></span><span style="margin:0px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box; font-family:MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web,serif; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="font-weight:bold; margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"> </span><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="margin:0px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important">The
Office of Management and Budget will issue valuation guidance to help agencies better account for services provided by ecosystems and the environment.</span></span></span><br>
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<div style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:16px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; color:rgb(10,36,88); text-align:left; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box; font-family:MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web,serif; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="margin:0px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><br>
</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:16px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; color:rgb(10,36,88); text-align:left; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box; font-family:MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web,serif; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="box-sizing:border-box; background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><b>First
U.S. National Nature Assessment:</b></span></span><span style="margin:0px"><span style="margin:0px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><b> </b></span><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="margin:0px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important">To
create this comprehensive picture, the 13-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program will develop the first-ever assessment of the condition of nature within the United States.</span><span style="margin:0px; font-size:16px; font-family:MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web,serif; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); display:inline!important"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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