Text 2　　Forests give us shade, quietand one of the harder challenges in the fight against climate change. Even aswe humans count on forests to soak up a good share of the carbon dioxide weproduce, we are threatening their ability to do so. The climate change we arehastening could one day leave us with forests that emit more carbon than theyabsorb.
　　Thankfully, there is a way out of this trap—but itinvolves striking a subtle balance. Helping forests flourish as valuable“carbon sinks” long into the future may require reducing their capacity toabsorb carbon now. California is leading the way, as it does on so many climateefforts, in figuring out the details.
　　The state's proposed Forest Carbon Plan aims todouble efforts to thin out young trees and clear brush in parts of the forest.This temporarily lowers carbon-carrying capacity. But the remaining trees drawa greater share of the available moisture, so they grow and thrive, restoringthe forest's capacity to pull carbon from the air. Healthy trees are alsobetter able to fend off insects. The landscape is rendered less easilyburnable. Even in the event of a fire, fewer trees are consumed.
　　The need for such planning is increasingly urgent.Already, since 2010, drought and insects have killed over 100 million trees inCalifornia, most of them in 2016 alone, and wildfires have burned hundreds ofthousands of acres.
　　California plans to treat 35,000 acres of forest ayear by 2020, and 60,000 by 2030—financed from the proceeds of the state'semissions-permit auctions. That's only a small share of the total acreage thatcould benefit, about half a million acres in all, so it will be vital toprioritize areas at greatest risk of fire or drought.
　　The strategy also aims to ensure that carbon in woodymaterial removed from the forests is locked away in the form of solid lumber orburned as biofuel in vehicles that would otherwise run on fossil fuels. Newresearch on transportation biofuels is already under way.
　　State governments are well accustomed to managingforests, but traditionally they've focused on wildlife, watersheds andopportunities for recreation. Only recently have they come to see the vitalpart forests will have to play in storing carbon. California's plan, which isexpected to be finalized by the governor next year, should serve as a model.

California's Forest Carbon Plan endeavors to _____.

A.restoreitsforestsquicklyafterwildfires

B.cultivatemoredrought-resistanttrees

C.findmoreeffectivewaystokillinsects

D.reducethedensityofsomeofitsforests