To the Senate Committee for Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,

We are a group of concerned citizens who would like to voice our opposition to H.R. 471 Fix Our Forests Act. In particular, we have immense concerns over the bill’s call to circumvent the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), undermine the Endangered Species Act, and the provision to “fix” the 2015 Cottonwood decision*.

NEPA is a fundamental part in maintaining our ecosystems. These places provide clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat, and support recreation, hunting, and rural economies. These benefits are invaluable, and we need to manage them wisely so that they continue to benefit us for generations to come.

As Representative Stansbury stated on the house floor, 

“There is so much that I like about this bill, but I am extremely concerned about provisions in the bill that undermine NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, judicial remedies that are available to 

communities and to the environmental community, and that it tries to micromanage instead of putting in place comprehensive solutions to address the climate crisis and forestry practices”

This bill would expedite and exempt the reviews of certain forest management projects from NEPA’s requirements, as well as the standards of the Endangered Species Act, and the Historic Preservation Act. These steps will only weaken our natural resources, not “fix” them. Our forests and natural lands deserve better.

Next, the bill expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review. It establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act. It limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Finally, it limits litigation involving fireshed management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide.

There needs to be additional legislation to address these critical issues and protect against the undermining and/or the exploitation of loopholes of NEPA and the Endangered Species Act. 

The main argument in support of this bill is that it will restore the health of the forests and reduce the threat of forest fires. These false claims of reducing wildfires fail to address the root cause of these wildfires, the climate crisis. This bill is not the result of the wildfires in southern California, as the bill has been presented previously to Congress. The use of the fires by almost all Representatives who spoke in support of the bill on the House floor is concerning!

As Representative Huffman stated in his opposition on the house floor, 

“Fix Our Forests would not have stopped either of these fires. Communities like the ones in southern California; Boulder, Colorado; and Lahaina, Hawaii need resources so they can prepare and respond and be more resilient. Unfortunately, even the sections of this bill that purport to help in these situations completely lack funding. They need to be refined.”

The bill falsely claims to Fix Our Forests. Many resolutions were completely denied in the rush to get this to a vote. We need comprehensive legislation that protects NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and addresses the climate crisis. 

We urge you to oppose this bill. 

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizens