[DRAFT] A Tree for a Tree Act.

[Kingdom of the Polar Bear]

A Tree for a Tree Act

Council: General Assembly

Category: Environmental, A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.

Industry Affected: Woodcutting

Description:

NOTING, that logging industry plays a huge role in some nation’s economy’s and must make profit.

UNDERSTANDING, that without such Industry’s many products would not be made such as paper and housing.

STATING, that while such industry douse some good they also do harm

THEREFORE, Tree for Tree act states for every tree that is cut down in commercial and private logging. The same number of trees must be replanted one the company is done with the logging site. And if is not conducted properly the company in question shall be fined 100 dollars (in that nations currency) per tree that was cut down.

UNLESS, such site is being used for development and if such tree poses harm to a residents property. In such case it is up to the owner of the property and development land in question to do what they want with the trees.

NOTING that this resolution applies to all business’s in the woodcutting business from large corporations to small mom and pop shops

[Moronist Decisions]

Interesting. I assume this goes under Industry Affected - Woodchipping?

Please check your spelling. Also, we believe that this has two problems:

Potential issues:
- Commercial logging - is there a definition? So, if I go to chop down someone's tree that affects the foundation of their house - do I need to repeat the harm?
- What if this tree-cutting is necessary for development?
- I can simply cut down trees at a huge site for all eternity, and never replant any trees.

[Kingdom of the Polar Bear]

Interesting. I assume this goes under Industry Affected - Woodchipping?

Please check your spelling. Also, we believe that this has two problems:

Potential issues:
- Commercial logging - is there a definition? So, if I go to chop down someone's tree that affects the foundation of their house - do I need to repeat the harm?
- What if this tree-cutting is necessary for development?
- I can simply cut down trees at a huge site for all eternity, and never replant any trees.

The draft has been updated fixing the spotted flaws.

[Stonen]

I think this is a well thought out idea. Even as a country who runs of pure Capitalism and little to no government regulation this proposal makes sense. While I do not believe industry is a huge source of pollution, and my country has no lumber industry whatsoever I think maintaing national beauty and preserving our fresh air is of the utmost importance! This is a proposal I feel should and would be passed by the WA.

[Moronist Decisions]

1) Word count doesn't matter; character count does.

2) Dollars - what amount is this? It can lead to bankruptcy in some nations, and loose change in others.

3) "douse" should be "does"

4) Still needs significant work.

Our nation is on the fence on this.

[Dukopolious]

We have acquired permission from the delegate whom wrote this to re-write the proposal on our own accord, crediting the delegate as co-author. Any mistakes here shall be fixed in the new draft, on a different thread.

[Condunum]

A Tree for a Tree Act
Council: General Assembly

Category: Environmental, A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.

Industry Affected: Woodcutting

Description:

NOTING, that logging industry plays a huge role in some nation’s economy’s and must make profit.

UNDERSTANDING, that without such Industry’s many products would not be made such as paper and housing.

STATING, that while such industry douse some good they also do harm

THEREFORE, Tree for Tree act states for every tree that is cut down in commercial and private logging. The same number of trees must be replanted one the company is done with the logging site. And if is not conducted properly the company in question shall be fined 100 dollars (in that nations currency) per tree that was cut down.

UNLESS, such site is being used for development and if such tree poses harm to a residents property. In such case it is up to the owner of the property and development land in question to do what they want with the trees.

NOTING that this resolution applies to all business’s in the woodcutting business from large corporations to small mom and pop shops

Total word count: 202.

"Opposed. Should we find that our forest areas are removed for the purpose of residential expansion, a commercial venture, where will we replant these trees? Condunum is a rather forested nation as is - the rest of our ecosystem could not support the sudden spring of a woodland."

[Grays Harbor]

Our nation is on the fence on this.

Yes, but is it a wooden fence?

[Mizialand]

How do you ensure that the tree survives?
A Better idea would be to use a 1:10 ratio. For every tree cut, 10 saplings should be planted

[The Sinon State]

The Executor of the Sinon State is strongly in favor of the spirit of this draft, and anxiously awaits to see the rewritten version.

Cordially,
Uso Rin, Ambassador of the State

[Bears Armed]

"This is hwhat the WA gets for voting-down our own proposed resolution on 'Wise Woodland Management' last year: Maybeso we should resume work on our Sustainable Forestry proposal..."


Artorrios o SouthWoods,
ChairBear, Bears Armed Mission at the World Assembly
for
The High Council of Clans,
The Confederated Clans of the Free Bears of Bears Armed.

[Condunum]

"This is hwhat the WA gets for voting-down our own proposed resolution on 'Wise Woodland Management' last year: Maybeso we should resume work on our Sustainable Forestry proposal..."


Artorrios o SouthWoods,
ChairBear, Bears Armed Mission at the World Assembly
for
The High Council of Clans,
The Confederated Clans of the Free Bears of Bears Armed.

"As long as you include clauses exempting nations with an inablility to provide new forest lands from replanting following residential expansion, we'll be in favor."

[Commonwealth Republic of Zire]

The Zire supports, but would like to see forced assistance from the wealthier nations to help the poorer ones. This can be very expensive.

[Peoples Federation of Trotskyist Soviets]

As stated by several other delegates above, this resolution could potentially be harmful for the economy of smaller nations, especially fledgling nations like myself who are in the process of building up economic strength. PFTS likes the notion of replacing trees however we would like to see a caveat for small-sized nations and/or nations with faltering economies.

[Kingdom of the Polar Bear]

We have acquired permission from the delegate whom wrote this to re-write the proposal on our own accord, crediting the delegate as co-author. Any mistakes here shall be fixed in the new draft, on a different thread.

So people, it will be fixed ok!!!

[Cenetra]

THEREFORE, Tree for Tree act states for every tree that is cut down in commercial and private logging. The same number of trees must be replanted one the company is done with the logging site. And if is not conducted properly the company in question shall be fined 100 dollars (in that nations currency) per tree that was cut down.

Not only is fixing a penalty (other than a minimum) micromanagement, but this can very considerably based on the value of the nation's currency. For example, in Cenetra N$100 is the price of a fairly cheap cell phone, or a single adult's monthly food budget. However, in some nations 100 units of currency could buy a car or feed a family for a year, while in others 100 units of currency is only sufficient to buy a soft-drink.

In some nations, the cost of planting a replacement tree may actually be higher than the fine set forth in this law, so the logging industry will still have no incentive to plant trees.

In some areas, this law may be entirely inapplicable. If a tree farm operating on normally agricultural land (this accounts for the majority of Cenetra's wood production) closes down, requiring it to plant a forest on their land would be counterproductive. Similarly, in some forests controlled harvesting of trees to thin out an area may be useful to keep fires at a manageable size. Limits on how many and which trees are harvested are much better for the environment than clear-cutting a swath of land and replanting it.

Although Cenetra supports measures to prevent deforestation, this bill fails to do so, and its heavy-handed "one size fits all" approach would in fact impede sustainable logging practices. As such, we are opposing this legislation.

[The Goths]

Trees are a crop, to be managed by each sovereign nation. No Goth tree has achieved its full potential until it is harvested and used. For example, our wooden gallows are the envy of the world.

[Black Marne]

I would suggest you make definitions for your terms, ambassador. Commercial and private logging can cover a wide range of activities.

-The New Argonian Homeland of Black Marne

[The Lorax]

I am the Lorax; I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues, And I'm asking you, delegates, at the top of my lungs to pass this legislation once it has been rewritten and tidied up. Just because the trees cannot speak for themselves does not mean they shouldn't be protected.

[Kingdom of the Polar Bear]

I am the Lorax; I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues, And I'm asking you, delegates, at the top of my lungs to pass this legislation once it has been rewritten and tidied up. Just because the trees cannot speak for themselves does not mean they shouldn't be protected.

I agree! Hopefully the rewrite will be better than this one. I do hope that once its done that it will pass. Because the world needs to wake up and protect the environment because without it we would not be here!

[The Emerald Legion]

We have a question... This proposal specifies cutting down trees... presumably for some use or another... but how would this reflect on Legionary desertification efforts?

By technicality we do not cut the trees down so much as clear them away with explosives and burn any remains... but even so.

It would seem counterproductive to our aim if we had to replace all the trees we just got through clearing.

[Kingdom of the Polar Bear]

*Le Bump*

[Frisbeeteria]

*Le Bump*

Really? 20 months later?

[Separatist Peoples]

*Le Bump*

"You're joking.

"One hundred dollars in a nation with low-value currency could be less then the cost of a newspaper, and certainly less then a tree-full of lumber."

[Chester Pearson]

*Le Bump*

Really? 20 months later?

There is now a time limit on drafting proposals? I was always told it was a marathon.....