Wilton Simpson

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson released a letter urging U.S. senators and members of the Trump administration to exempt American forests from effects of the European Union’s proposed deforestation regulation. The letter was signed by 18 state agriculture commissioners across the U.S. According to Simpson’s office, the rule, if enacted as currently written, could severely impact the U.S. timber industry, which is a global leader in forest management and sustainability. …The 18 commissioners requested the country’s leaders address the potential “negative implications” the European Union Deforestation Regulation rule will place on the country’s agricultural forestry industries. The European Union’s deforestation regulation, set to take effect on Dec. 30, aims to ensure that the products it imports do not contribute to global deforestation or forest degradation. …The commissioners urged the U.S. senators and members of the Trump administration to express opposition to the rule.