Today, Ranking Republican Rob Bishop (R-Utah) released the following statement commending the actions taken by U.S. Forest Service to revise the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations.  

“On the eve of a fire season with the potential to be one of the most catastrophic in recent times, this proposal from the USDA is most welcome. The administration is cutting red tape to save lives and protect the environment. There is great wisdom in reevaluating NEPA. When lives hang in the balance, we must always remember the importance of expediency.”

 “At a time when the Forest Service is annually treating just 2 percent of the over 80 million acres of forest land identified as a high risk for catastrophic wildfire, there is a clear need for smarter management and more regulatory flexibility. The Forest Service must be able to respond to wildfire threats as quickly as possible. While I welcome this positive step from the Forest Service, Congress still has an obligation to provide additional tools to combat the national wildfire crisis.”

Background:

On June 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) proposed improvements to the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations.  The proposed changes can be found here.