On January 16, House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) announced the reintroduction of the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening resiliency through active forest management. Chairman Westerman noted that the recent LA wildfires underscore the urgency of this issue and said that the bill is slated for House floor consideration next week.
The bill would expedite environmental reviews to help prevent catastrophic fires and increase the scope of restoration projects. The legislation also seeks to deter lawsuits that delay that which is deemed essential forest management. Additionally, the reintroduced bill includes language from California Democrat Representative Josh Harder that would require federal agencies to establish standard operating procedures relating to payment timelines for fire suppression cost-share agreements.
In the 118th Congress, a version of the bill passed the House last September; however, the Senate did not take action and President Biden voiced opposition to the bill.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Staci Heaton