Today, 29 Members of Congress sent a letter underscoring support for House-passed active forest management legislation, H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act.  In the letter, the Members stress the need for Senate action to keep all of our Nation’s forests healthy.

“Last fall, the House passed H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, with bipartisan support.  We greatly appreciate your leadership in bringing this critical legislation to the floor.  This legislation would restore balance to federal land management by emphasizing responsible timber production in environmentally appropriate areas and encouraging greater involvement in decision making by states and local communities,” wrote the Members in the letter. “With so many forest communities continuing to suffer economically, and with the ongoing threat of severe wildfires this summer, we are disappointed that the Senate has thus far failed to engage on this important issue. We are concerned that the Senate may sidestep the tough policy decisions involved by forwarding to the House certain place-based proposals that apply only to limited areas…Instead, we ask that you insist on broader policy solutions that help forest communities across the country.”

Click here to read the letter.

H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, was passed by the House of Representatives on September 20, 2013. This bipartisan, comprehensive legislation renews the federal government’s commitment to manage federal forests for the benefit of rural schools and counties.  It would create over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs; provide stable funding for counties to use for education and infrastructure; provide nearly $400 million in savings over 10 years; and help reduce the risk of wildfires. To learn more about H.R. 1526, click here.

###

Printable PDF of this document