Reforming Federal Forest Policy

Each summer, our forested communities face catastrophic fires that burn through overstocked forests, choke our skies with smoke, destroy watersheds, and threaten property and lives. Meanwhile, our most rural communities face high levels of poverty and unemployment. It is clear the status quo isn't working for our forests or our communities, and that’s why I continue to push for reforms in the House

Improving the management of our federal forests 
I helped write legislation to fix and streamline management to improve the health of our forests and our communities. For example, the House has passed a plan l to repeal the arbitrary prohibition on harvesting trees over 21 inches in diameter on national forests in eastern Oregon. The restriction denies forest managers the flexibility to address site specific needs of the forest on the ground, and is a source of litigation that continues to stall much needed forest management efforts.

Putting people back to work in the woods
I’ve supported a plan that would cut costs and streamline management on Oregon’s unique O&C Lands. The O&C Lands in southern and western Oregon are uniquely managed by the BLM for timber production under the requirements of the O&C Act. Timber harvests have lagged below these requirements and legislation I helped craft makes clear the O&C Act mandates at least 500 million board feet in annual timber harvest.

Ending the cycle of “fire borrowing”
We must fix the way we pay to fight fire, and stop the endless cycle of “fire borrowing”— or forcing the federal government to use wildfire prevention funds to pay for fighting fire. I supported a bipartisan plan that would allow the Forest Service to apply for FEMA disaster funds to pay for firefighting. This treats wildfire as the natural disasters they are, similar to hurricanes or tornados, and ensures the cost-effective preventive forest management work gets done.