Should Congress expedite forest management by simplifying environmental reviews to reduce wildfire risks and improve forest health?
H.R. 8790 expedites forest management on federal and tribal lands to improve forest health and resilience. It designates high-risk “fire shed management areas” and streamlines environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to accelerate projects. The bill promotes collaboration on restoration efforts, establishes a Fireshed Center for data sharing and coordination, and implements measures for vegetation management and wildfire prevention to protect communities and natural resources.
Sponsor: Rep. Bruce Westerman (Republican, Arkansas, District 4)
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Opponents say
• "The bill continues to include provisions that go beyond or even counter the WFMMC recommendations. For example, Title I waives all environmental planning requirements for the establishment of priority firesheds, codifies the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) alternative arrangements typically utilized only for discrete emergency situations, and includes a blanket authorization to utilize expanded categorical exclusions (CEs) for a broad range of so-called firesheds management projects. Taken together, these provisions shortcut critical opportunities to accelerate environmental reviews while protecting communities, the environment and public input opportunities in the development of forest management projects. Achieving cross-boundary restoration goals across millions of acres of public, state, private, and tribal land requires collaboration. This is often achieved through the NEPA process, especially as projects get bigger and more complex. Removing these safeguards and opportunities for public input is a step in the wrong direction." Source: Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Democrat, Arizona, District 7), dissenting opinion
• "This legislation purports to be about sound forest management and fire, but it is really about stifling citizen voices, removing science from land management decisions, and legislating a large-scale rollback of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on millions of acres of federal lands. Its sweeping provisions remove scientific review and accountability to benefit the short-term interests of extractive industries. Instead of focusing on proven ways to protect communities such as home hardening and science-based forest management projects close to communities, this legislation will open millions of acres of federal land to logging without scientific review and community input, which may increase the risk of wildfires." Source: 85 Environmental Groups, in a letter opposing H.R. 8790
Proponents say
• "Wildfires are more intense, frequent, and widespread today because of climate change and over a century of poor land management. In California the eight largest wildfires on record have occurred during the last decade, and in just one year, California wildfires contributed more to climate change than the state’s entire power sector. Our bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act is a comprehensive approach to restore our forests and defend our communities from catastrophic wildfires. Our legislation meets the enormity of this challenge, gives forest managers the tools they need to conduct their work, and promotes scientifically backed land management methods that have been practiced by Native communities for centuries. Finally, we ensure that strong environmental protections are kept in place, while expediting the schedule of work and reducing the threat of frivolous litigation." Source: Rep. Scott Peters (Democrat, California, District 50)
• "America’s forests are in jeopardy. Insufficient management driven by bureaucratic red tape and frivolous litigation have turned vast swaths of our federal forests into overgrown and unhealthy tinderboxes. The Fix Our Forests Act will revolutionize the way we manage our forests and support active and responsible management of federal lands with the best available technology and science, leaving them more resilient for generations to come." Source: Rep. Bruce Westerman (Republican, Arkansas, District 4)
- Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Historic Forestry Legislation (Press Release)
- The “Fix Our Forests Act” Won’t Actually Fix Our Forests (Environment America)
- What They Are Saying: The Fix Our Forests Act (House Committee On Natural Resources)
- The Misleadingly Named ‘Fix Our Forests Act’ Would Do Anything But (The Hill)
- Rep. Bruce Westerman’s Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
