Yesterday, Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced the Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act, which would speed up desperately needed forest management. If enacted, 70 million acres of National Forest System lands would receive accelerated treatment.
“Maintaining healthy forests is essential to reducing catastrophic wildfires and outbreaks of disease and insect infestation,” said Jeff Kupfer, president of ConservAmerica. “Unfortunately, our national forests have experienced an increase in forest mortality due to poor management. They are a tinderbox waiting to go up in flames. ConservAmerica supports Senator Thune’s Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act, which will give the Forest Service more tools to proactively manage forests, reducing wildfires and improving forest health.”
Among the benefits of the legislation, the USFS would be required to address the risks of infestations and wildfires and publish annual reports on completed treatment. It would also give states the right to form good neighbor agreements for authorized restoration services.
Read more about the bill below or read the entire press release here.
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“U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today introduced the Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act, legislation to require the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to expedite treatment of more than 70 million acres of National Forest System lands, in consultation with states, that were identified during the Obama administration as in need of treatment to reduce the threat of insect and disease infestations and catastrophic wildfires. In South Dakota alone, the USFS designated the vast majority of the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) as a landscape-scale insect and disease area that is in need of treatment. Despite authorities provided by Congress to proactively manage national forests, on-the-ground management activities, including timber thinning, are significantly lagging on the BHNF and other forests throughout the country. In 2020 alone, more than 10 million acres burned, approximately half of which were on USFS lands, resulting in significant carbon emissions, loss of wildlife habitat, and reduced opportunities for recreation.
“Maintaining healthy forests is essential to reducing catastrophic wildfires and outbreaks of disease and insect infestation,” said Jeff Kupfer, president of ConservAmerica. “Unfortunately, our national forests have experienced an increase in forest mortality due to poor management. They are a tinderbox waiting to go up in flames. ConservAmerica supports Senator Thune’s Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act, which will give the Forest Service more tools to proactively manage forests, reducing wildfires and improving forest health.”
The Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act would:
Require the USFS to expedite treatment through application of the insect and disease and hazardous fuels categorical exclusion for projects on acres suitable for timber production while providing necessary exclusions for National Wilderness Preservation System lands and roadless areas;
Require the USFS to publish a report annually detailing the acres that have been treated;
Require the USFS to prioritize reducing the risks of infestations and wildfires over other objectives in forest plans;
Add Fire Regime Groups IV and V to the insect and disease and hazardous fuels categorical exclusion, because science and recent events have shown that these group are susceptible to wildfires and insect epidemics; and
Allow states to retain good neighbor agreement timber sale revenues for authorized restoration services on any land under a good neighbor agreement in the state.”