In 1971, American author Dr. Seuss published a children’s book named “The Lorax”. It chronicles the plight of the environment, personified as the Lorax, against a greedy industrialist. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, the basic premise is that the production and sale of goods requires deforestation which, in turn, pollutes the air and water. Wildlife disappears and the factory shuts down. In the end, as the Lorax disappears behind the smoggy clouds, a monument appears engraved with a single word: “UNLESS”. As the buildings crumble around him, the industrialist finally understands: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not”. He then gives the boy the last tree seed and urges him to grow a forest from it. In the 47 years since the publication of “The Lorax”, it seems that this metaphor unfortunately still rings true. Conservationists and eco-minded individuals are still fighting the good fight, but the verdict is still out on this dichotomy between environmentalists and industrialists. However, there’s still hope. The overriding message of “The Lorax” struck a chord with me as I sat and talked with Summit County’s very own rendition of the Lorax, Donna Lee. The California native – and current Frisco resident – brings new meaning to saving the world one tree at a time. She works internationally in the field of land use and climate change, or put simply, the way we use our land and its impact on our climate. For example, did you know that deforestation is a significant contributor to climate change? When forests are burned or cleared, their carbon is released, adding to atmospheric CO2 levels and therefore accelerating climate change. Protecting forests, however, has the opposite effect. As we all learned in grade school, trees absorb CO2 from the air as they grow. Using energy from the sun, they turn the captured carbon into building blocks for their trunks, branches, and foliage. This is all part of the carbon cycle. In terms of climate change, forest loss accounts for over 10% of current man-made CO2 emissions. while standing forests reduce over a quarter of what we emit into the atmosphere. And Donna Lee – aka the Lorax – is working with developing countries and donor governments on this global problem. For over a decade now, Donna has been working on environmental issues, mostly in the form of fighting climate change. She started her career working on political and economic issues with the U.S. State Department. In 2004, she was posted to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (U.N.) in Geneva which launched her career in the environmental field and eventually led her to the State Department’s Office of Global Change where she served as a climate negotiator, representing the United States in discussions leading up to the Paris Agreement on climate change. She since left government and moved to Summit County—and now has her hands full supporting donor governments in developing strategies for climate finance; working for the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization to provide technical assistance to countries on how to measure and monitor carbon changes in forests; and advising the Climate and Land Use Alliance, a set of U.S. philanthropies. “I get to learn something new every day. I get to work on something that I enjoy and am passionate about. And I feel very lucky in that respect,” said Lee when asked about the favorite part of her work. “I’ve been all over the world – to over 70 countries – and it’s been an amazing opportunity. However, it does make me appreciate what we have as Americans.” Speaking of Americans, Lee conversely points towards overcoming the stigma that the United States has overseas – regarding climate change and carbon emissions – as the most difficult part of her previous job as a US climate negotiator. We are seen by the entire world as the worst greenhouse gas emission culprits. She points to a lack of awareness and education as the major culprits. “People only listen to the media outlets that validate their current beliefs,” says Lee. “I understand it’s difficult, but we need to try and educate ourselves on all sides to any issue.” Education and awareness aside, Lee notes the detachment of most Americans: “In developing countries, people are much closer to the land,” she continues. “Fuel, food, fodder. Their grocery store is the forest. Our lives – as Americans – do not depend as much on land and the forest as others in the developing world. They can feel it in a visceral way while we are privileged and can adapt to climate change much easier.” So, these are the hurdles that Lee tackles every day. In her opinion, Americans need to carry their share of the burden. She realizes that it will cost American citizens something to reduce their emissions, but believes it’s imperative that we do something—particularly as a country that has put more than our fair share of carbon into the atmosphere. Today, Donna Lee brings her expertise to Summit County, calling Frisco her home for the past six years or so. She is quick to point out, however, that our community is not immune to climate change, as the recent uptick in forest fires likely has a connection to a hotter, drier climate. With a career full of international travel in the books, Lee is slowly setting her sights on doing more at home in the US to promote climate action, specifically in encouraging communities to add land use as an integral part of community climate action plans. In addition to being a gracious donor to the High Country Conservation Center (HC3), her first foray into domestic land use and climate change happened to come with her inclusion on the climate action steering committee spearheaded by HC3. This time, as a volunteer because she just can’t get enough of this stuff, she realized that most communities (including Summit County) don’t include land use and forests in climate action planning—despite the fact that forests are a significant part of the U.S. carbon budget and a critical way in which the US can contribute to reducing global warming. “I am supposed to be retired, but I keep working because I find this stuff interesting,” quipped Lee. “I would like to do more work in the U.S. because if we are going to solve the climate crisis, we (Americans) have to put our foot forward first, or other parts of the world won’t be as willing to step up.” Lee goes on to remind us that communities matter: “Every little wedge matters. All this adds up. If we can’t do it as an affluent community, who can?” Donna Lee is stepping it up in Summit County with her participation in the creation of a Climate Action Plan (CAP), but she also has her sights set on the development of a new protocol – or methodology – that would enable other communities to include land and forests in climate action. With other Colorado communities looking to Summit County as a model, residents can be proud of not only what she is doing for our community, but for the rest of our country and its reputation. “We have to protect the forests we have and expand on it,” said Lee. “I’m like the Lorax looking to plant trees one at a time.”