MATSUI LEADS BIPARTISAN LETTER URGING INTERIOR TO DELIVER ON REFORESTATION STRATEGY

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), and Russ Fulcher (R-ID) sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum urging the Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop a comprehensive strategy to reforest DOI-managed lands and address a growing reforestation backlog driven by wildfire, drought, insects, and disease.

"We strongly urge you to develop a comprehensive reforestation strategy for Department of Interior managed forests as an integral component to accomplishing President Trump's public land management goals for strengthening wildfire response, post-wildfire recovery, and active forest management," wrote the lawmakers. "Without timely reforestation, these scarred landscapes can be highly susceptible to flash flooding, impacting the public health and economic stability of nearby communities."

To better address reforestation gaps, the Members request that DOI:

1. Conduct a department-wide assessment of reforestation needs and ability to meet those needs.
2. Enter a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Forest Service to share resources and expertise.
3. Prioritize reforestation efforts through the Administration's Make America Beautiful Again Commission and address the multi-million-acre reforestation backlog.

"Importantly, forest restoration, which can include pre-wildfire reforestation site preparation done in conjunction with active forest management, can also save tax-payer dollars," the lawmakers added.

When wildfires rip through public lands, they do not just burn trees. They leave behind vast stretches of scorched hillsides where the roots that once held soil in place are gone.

Reforestation is the work of restoring those forests by growing and replanting native trees so the land can recover. But extreme heat, drought, insects, and disease are preventing many areas from regenerating on their own, leaving millions of acres at risk of staying barren for decades.

That has real consequences for families. When heavy rains come, burn scars can trigger flash flooding, debris flows, and landslides that threaten homes and roads, while also contaminating drinking water. This letter calls on Interior to appropriately treat reforestation like the public safety recovery work that it is.

Read the full letter HERE.

Congresswoman Matsui has long championed forest resilience and restoration as essential to protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire and accelerating recovery after disasters strike. More information on the Congresswoman's record on a broad range of environmental issues can be found HERE.