Providing for Consideration of H.R. 5, Student Success Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2647, Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, passage of this measure will restore responsible management to our forests after decades of Federal neglect. My district includes seven national forests which have suffered from increasingly devastating forest fires caused by overgrown, mismanaged forests and has been economically hobbled by restrictions on forest management.

Last year, in just one of my counties, just three forest fires burned 200,000 acres. Our rural communities, public lands, and environment are being destroyed by this neglect.

This measure will return active management to our forests by increasing flexibility; cutting red tape; and, most importantly, acting to manage forests before fires occur, not afterwards. Streamlining the review process means that forest management can occur when it is actually needed to address dangerous conditions, not after years of legal roadblocks.

Allowing categorical exclusions for postfire salvage and rehabilitation hastens forest recovery and prevents fuel buildup that can contribute to the next future fire. Expanding local involvement in forest management will improve the data available for planning and respect local priorities.

In light of Forest Service surveys finding that over 12 million Sierra Nevada trees have died in the last year, we cannot afford to wait another year.

Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we act today before our forests have passed beyond any point where they can be restored to good forest health.

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