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Walden announces legislation
Healthy Forest Restoration Act to speed up thinning process
published April 29, 2003
U.S. Congressmen Greg Walden and Scott McInnis, R-Colo., Friday announced the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, legislation they say will help improve the nation's forests.
The bill would speed up the process of getting approval for thinning and prescribed burning on national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands that have an "unnaturally" high risk of wildfire or insect and disease epidemics. The bill would place express priority on management of wildfire-prone lands near communities and sources of city drinking water. Of the 190 million acres said to be at an unnaturally high risk of wildfire, the bill says these expedited procedures could be used on 20 million of them.
The Forest Service and BLM would not be authorized to use the expedited analysis procedures in
wilderness areas, national parks, wildlife refuges and lands where, by an act of Congress or presidential proclamation, the removal of vegetation is prohibited or restricted.
The bill also would establish a private forestlands conservation initiative that would support conservation efforts on 1 million acres of land critical to the recovery of threatened, endangered and other sensitive species annually. The program would initially be run for five years, with $15 million in funding each year.
published April 29, 2003
U.S. Congressmen Greg Walden and Scott McInnis, R-Colo., Friday announced the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, legislation they say will help improve the nation's forests.
The bill would speed up the process of getting approval for thinning and prescribed burning on national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands that have an "unnaturally" high risk of wildfire or insect and disease epidemics. The bill would place express priority on management of wildfire-prone lands near communities and sources of city drinking water. Of the 190 million acres said to be at an unnaturally high risk of wildfire, the bill says these expedited procedures could be used on 20 million of them.
The Forest Service and BLM would not be authorized to use the expedited analysis procedures in
wilderness areas, national parks, wildlife refuges and lands where, by an act of Congress or presidential proclamation, the removal of vegetation is prohibited or restricted.
The bill also would establish a private forestlands conservation initiative that would support conservation efforts on 1 million acres of land critical to the recovery of threatened, endangered and other sensitive species annually. The program would initially be run for five years, with $15 million in funding each year.
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