Here is a possible mitigation option generated through the public consultation:
Mitigation options that encourage landowners view timberlands as profitable investments – if they do not find it too difficult to navigate regulations (and certifications), they will be more likely to replant a forest than convert the land to “higher and better uses” (This option was not assessed using the framework described below.)
NOTE: The final draft of the National Risk Assessment requires that any mitigation options for conversion fit within the following framework (drawn from the U.S. Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy): Actions identified must help to achieve one of the following outcomes:
Convene partners to identify and protect priority forest areas
Promote national policies and markets to help private landowners conserve forests
Provide resources and tools to help communities expand and connect forests
Participate in community growth planning to reduce ecological impacts and wildfire risks