Jaime Herrera Beutler Advances Bill to Restore Forest Health in Struggling Federal Forests

Statement

Today, Jaime Herrera Beutler helped the U.S. House advance the Resilient Federal Forests Act, bipartisan legislation that includes several efforts Jaime has championed that will benefit Pacific Northwest forests. The bill corrects the funding process for funding wildfire disasters, allows the Forest Service to approve projects that reduce fire risk, extends Secure Rural Schools authorization through 2020 and improves "early seral" habitat for elk and other wildlife.

"Our communities in Southwest Washington are tied to the legacy of the magnificent forests that surround us, and that's a legacy we have the responsibility to protect," said Jaime. "Over the last 20 years, our federal forests have lacked effective management which has left them susceptible to overgrowth, disease, and catastrophic wildfires. I'm pleased to move forward this legislation that will help turn the tide and create healthy forests using thinning projects to prevent catastrophic wildfires, create important "early seral" habitat for deer and other small animals and provide certainty for schools in timber communities. This is a good working framework for the overall national forest, even though it does not address all of the circumstances faced in forests in Western Washington. This bill is an excellent start, and I will continue to prepare my own legislation to protect the health of our region's federal forests for generations to come."

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