On October 2, 2009, Congresswoman Doris Matsui was awarded the California Urban Forestry Award for Community Building with Trees. This honor is awarded by California Urban Forests Council to a corporation or public official whose mission is not urban forestry related but has demonstrated a significant and noteworthy level of contribution to a community, region, or the State of California utilizing urban forestry or green infrastructure programs to contribute to and enhance quality of life.
As an established and informed Representative, Congresswoman Matsui has emerged in Washington as a resourceful and influential advocate for the people of the Sacramento region who has focused on applying federal resources to improve the lives of her constituents. As the fourth-highest-ranked member on the influential House Rules Committee, she brings the distinctive voice of the Sacramento region to Washington, D.C.
Congresswoman Matsui is the author of The Energy Conservation through Trees Act, Section 205 in the “American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009.” This act authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide financial, technical, and related assistance to retail power providers to assist with the establishment of new, or continued operation of existing, targeted residential & small business, tree-planting programs, and requires the Secretary to create a national public recognition initiative to encourage participation in tree-planting programs by such providers.
Limited assistance is provided under this Act to programs that utilize targeted, strategic tree-siting guidelines to plant trees in relation to residence location, sunlight, and prevailing wind direction. The Act also sets requirements that must be met for tree-planting programs to qualify for assistance. In addition, it authorizes the Secretary to award grants only to providers that have entered into binding legal agreements with nonprofit tree-planting organizations.