The Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act Needs to Pass Now

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT

*** UPDATE- The US House passed this bill on January 23, 2025 on a strong bipartisan vote of 279 to 141. The bill now goes to the Senate so we continue to urge RMEF members to contact their Senators to also pass the bill as soon as possible. ***

*** UPDATE 2/28/25- The bill is getting a hearing in the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on March 6. ***

*** Update 4/10/25- A similar but notably different Senate companion bill has been introduced. S.1462 is sponsored by Senators John Curtis (D-UT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT).

The decline of habitat quality on federal lands is well-documented and decades of federal forest policy have led to reduced ecological productivity and increasing catastrophic fires. Reversing this trend will require active and modern forestry practices including thinning, prescribed fire and sustainable timber harvest to generate the age-classes and canopy openings that benefit many wildlife species. These practices will also help protect against the kinds of wildfires that destroy property and lives.

RMEF has supported the Fix Our Forests Act since 2024. Sponsored by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA), this bill addresses RMEF’s top priorities including:

Simplify and expedite environmental reviews for forest management projects;

Promote federal, state, tribal and local collaboration in forest management;

Deter frivolous litigation that delays essential projects, including to reverse the 9th Circuit Court’s ”Cottonwood decision”

Encourage the adoption of state-of-the-art science and technologies for federal land managers;

Strengthen tools like Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting to maximize return on investment.

The Fix our Forests Act has passed the House of Representatives twice- in the last Congress on a strong bipartisan vote of 268-151 and in the current Congress on an even bigger 279-141 margin. It is imperative to contact your Senators and keep the momentum going!

We need RMEF members to contact their Senators and ask that they vote for the Fix Our Forests Act. We have drafted messages for you, but we encourage you to customize them.

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The Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act Needs to Pass Now