Cutting Red Tape to Restore Access to Federal Forests and Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on seven bills to nullify the 2001 Roadless Rule and streamline environmental reviews to restore forest health and prevent catastrophic wildfires. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response:

"For too long, the topic of active wildfire management has been viewed as controversial, leading to a delay that has been catastrophic to our public lands and the communities built around them. We can no longer treat responsible management like public enemy number one. Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands reaffirms its commitment to restoring health and resiliency by prioritizing healthy forests, safer communities, reliable infrastructure and practical stewardship."

Background

H.R. 184, the Action Versus No Action Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), streamlines the number of alternatives analyzed for certain forest management projects to a proposed agency action and a no-action alternative. This legislation would expedite environmental review while emphasizing the consequences of inaction amid increasing wildfire risk.

H.R. 7695, introduced by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), permanently repeals the 2001 Roadless Rule and directs the U.S. Forest Service to construct permanent and temporary roads where necessary to support community protection and hazardous fuels reduction activities in federal forests.

H.R. 8682, the Accelerating Forest Management Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Troy Downing (R-Mont.), codifies a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act to expedite salvage harvesting projects that restore forest health and reduce future wildfire threats on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.

H.R. 8686, introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), withdraws and reserves approximately 22,000 acres of public land adjacent to the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground for military purposes, allowing for expanded surface safety zones and enabling parachute testing at higher altitudes.

H.R. 8688, the Forest Health and Wildlife Risk Reduction Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), codifies a categorical exclusion for thinning on BLM lands to address overgrown fire-prone federal forests.

H.R. 2785, the New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), establishes a formal framework through a memorandum of understanding to improve coordination, permitting clarity and communication between federal land agencies and New Mexico land grant-merced communities.

H.R. 8735, the American Sovereignty and Monterey Historic Military Site Study Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to assess whether the Lower Presidio Historic Park in Monterey, Calif., meets the criteria for designation as a unit of the National Park System.