Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) released the following statement in honor of the 150th celebration of Arbor Day:

"As the only licensed forester in Congress, I've seen firsthand the countless benefits trees provide for our daily lives. Healthy forests give us clean air, pure water, diverse wildlife habitats, and are the most advanced carbon sequestration tools we have. This is why I've advocated for science-based forestry legislation throughout my time in Congress. I believe we have an unchosen obligation to be good stewards of our environment by actively managing our forests, keeping them healthy and resilient for years to come. Today and every day, we celebrate trees!"

Background

Committee Republicans have introduced a variety of forestry legislation this Congress, including:

The Trillion Trees Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.),would solidify the United States as a global leader of the One Trillion Trees Initiative to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees worldwide.

The Forest Technology Enhancements for Conservation and Habitat Improvement Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), would create a five-year pilot program to allow the Forest Service to test out new technologies to increase the pace and scale of reforestation efforts.

The Solving Our Shortages for Seedlings Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), would address the significant U.S. seedling shortage by providing critical direction to the U.S. Forest Service to develop a comprehensive seedling strategy and increasing resources for federal, state, tribal, local and private nurseries.

The Forestry Education and Workforce Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), would authorize $20 million in education grants for land grant colleges and universities and community colleges and vocational schools to enhance their forestry programs, recruit and retain new forestry students, and provide hands-on experience and apprenticeship opportunities to students pursuing careers in forestry.

The No Timber From Tyrants Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.),would increase responsible harvesting on federal lands in the amount necessary to make up for lost imports of Russian and Belarusian timber.

The Healthy Forests for Hunters Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.),would authorize two categorical exclusions aimed at improving outdoor recreation opportunities, particularly for sportsmen and women.

The Forest Litigation Reform Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), would limit frivolous and obstructionist lawsuits that delay or cancel critical forest management activities by limiting attorneys fees for activist litigants, requiring courts to balance the harms of the forest management activity versus the costs of inaction, and creating an arbitration pilot project as an alternative to lengthy, cumbersome judicial review procedures.

The Resilient Federal Forests Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.),would provide comprehensive solutions to address the rapidly declining health of American forests and prevent catastrophic wildfires by expediting environmental analyses, reducing frivolous lawsuits, and increasing the pace and scale of critical forest restoration projects.

The Wildfire Prevention and Drought Mitigation Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), would authorize a 10,000 acre categorical exclusion under NEPA to protect municipal or tribal water sources, improve watershed health, restore water yield or quality, maintain or restore snowpack, and adapt forests to drought conditions.