This week, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Steve Daines (R-Montana) issued a joint statement announcing their bipartisan effort on a legislative proposal to promote the removal of dead, dying, and hazardous trees on federal forest lands.
According to the press release, the bill will support “the removal of woody biomass and dead and dying trees, accelerate post-fire restoration and reforestation, and expedite targeted treatments of dangerously dense forested areas where wildfires are most likely to start.” According to Katie Schoettler, a spokeswoman for Senator Daines, the bill would also address the environmental lawsuits that block or delay logging projects on federal land. Senators Feinstein and Daines plan to introduce their bill after Congress returns from its August recess in September and committed to work with members on both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation.