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Hello,

I am a CA citizen, born in San Francisco and raised in Marin
county.  I'm writing in support of including REDD (Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) offset credits in
California's Cap and Trade Program, (AB 32).  

I am an employee of CA based company, Wildlife Works Carbon - the
world's leading REDD project development and management company. In
my business development, marketing and sales roles, I have been a
part of building the voluntary market place for VCS and CCB REDD+
credits.

I have witnessed first hand the profoundly positive transformation
taking place on the ground at our flagship REDD+ project in the
Kasigau Corridor of Kenya.  This project is the world's first REDD
project to achieve validation, verification and issuance under both
VCS and CCB (gold level distinction) and is the model of a
successful REDD project for world.

When you visit our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project Kenya, the direct
benefits of carbon finance are clear and the project area is an
oasis of transformation compared to surrounding areas. The forest
is protected and thriving, children are going to school, adults are
going to work, wildlife is roaming free, and there is a community 
of approximately 80,000 people that understand REDD+  and the
important role they play in it.  It's apparent that the community
takes their role in the success of the project very seriously and
is joyful with appreciation for having the opportunity to do so
while building a brighter future for themselves and future
generations.   

You also see local job creation everywhere in a way that is
relevant to solving the underlying issues of deforestation and
creating a sustainable future.  You see brave rangers protecting
the increasingly threatened African Elephants that migrate through
the project.  You see dedicated staff tending to tree planting,
seed nursery and jojoba programs, for both reforestation and food
security purposes.  You see teams building water catchment
structures to solve water issues. You see small enterprises like
our sustainable charcoal program working. You see women's groups
gathered and strategizing about educating the community about HIV,
creating leadership and small enterprise opportunities for women,
and training women to be self sufficient. You see a beautiful,
richly bio-diverse forest protected with a community that is
passionate about their purpose... A purpose that we all have a
vested interest in. 

Most importantly the transformational change is measurable,
transparent, and credible offering companies an inspiring offset
solution that is virtually risk-free. 

My job is to tell the remarkable story of our REDD+ projects in
Kenya and The Democratic Republic of Congo.  In doing so, I engage
corporations to voluntarily offset their unavoidable emissions with
our high-impact REDD+ credits.  With the support of my colleagues,
the excellent leadership of our Founder and CEO, Mike Korchinsky,
and our customers we have been successful in creating demand in the
voluntary marketplace for REDD+ offsets. 

Corporates and organizations who have purchased REDD+ offsets from
Wildlife Works include: Microsoft, Allianz, UPS, Marks & Spencer,
Eneco Energy, PUMA, and La Poste to name a few.

California has the opportunity to solidify itself as the world's
leader in REDD by developing protocols for sector-based offset
credits from REDD in AB 32.  In many ways, CA already has been a
strong leader in REDD:  CA organizations – such as the Governors
Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) and Avoided Deforestation
Partners (ADP) – are now global leaders in pioneering
public-private partnerships for sustainable land use and
development. California companies – such as Wildlife Works and
Terra Global Capital – are now the world’s leading REDD+
development and management firms. California technology and
software corporations are now leading the rapidly growing industry
of earth monitoring technologies, from ESRI’s remote sensing
software to Google’s partnership with the indigenous Suruí for
handheld GPS mapping & monitoring systems. Finally, California
universities – from Berkeley to Stanford to Santa Barbara – are now
global leaders in land use change, climate, and REDD+ research and
development. This growth of California leadership in REDD+ is
creating unprecedented advances in conservation and climate
science, while also generating jobs, revenue, and education right
here at home.

As a concerned CA citizen, an employee of a CA company, and someone
working with CA corporates that want to use REDD in their emissions
reduction programs, I urge the California Air Resources Board to
send a positive market signal with regards to formalizing protocol
for the inclusion of REDD+ within AB 32 legislation. Including
REDD+ not only makes good business sense for California commerce,
but also advances one of the most important global climate change
mitigation strategies of our time.

REDD+ is an effective and cost efficient tool in stopping the 17%
of global annual greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation
by ensuring that standing tropical forests are valued for the
carbon and ecosystem services they provide to the global economy. 

We continue to lose an area of tropical forest three times the size
of San Francisco every day. The world simply cannot afford to
wait.

With sincere hope and thanks for your consideration,
Rachel O'Reilly
17 Shelley Drive
Mill Valley, CA  94941
415-328-3974