Fix Our Forests Act passes U.S. House
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act on January 23. The bill, if passed by the Senate, would serve as a means of expediting review of forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Of course, NEPA applies to many types of infrastructure projects, including oil and gas development, solar and wind, mining, transmission line construction, and more. Reforming NEPA wholesale to fix the lengthy and litigious permitting process would benefit all kinds of projects, but in the meantime, the Fix Our Forests Act addresses a crucial problem where permitting delays removal of dry fuels that contribute to hotter and larger wildfires.
Once the Forest Service initiates environmental review it takes an average of 3.6 years to begin treatment and 4.7 years to begin a prescribed burn, and for more rigorous forms of review, 5.3 years for mechanical treatments and 7.2 years for prescribed burns. Wildfires may not wait to burn these areas while the Forest Service fills out paperwork, and fires become larger and more destructive than they otherwise would be if fuels were removed.
Categorical exclusions are projects that don’t have to undergo environmental assessments or environmental impact statements because the federal government has determined those projects don’t significantly impact the environment. The Fix Our Forests Act gives categorical exclusions for vegetation management on federal lands near electric utility line rights-of-ways as well as for utilities to cut and remove trees near power lines without a timber sale.
Making it easier to perform this routine maintenance will reduce wildfire risks around utility installations. Utilities broadly support the bill.
The Fix Our Forests Act “includes crucial improvements to grid hardening and wildfire mitigation procedures that will help co-ops better address wildfire hazards on utility rights-of-way and better protect the communities they serve,” National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson said in a statement…
“In the wake of the devastating southern California wildfires, lawmakers must address drought-stricken trees and fire-prone federal forests that fueled the wind-driven fires,” [Pacific Gas & Electric] CEO Patti Poppe said. The utility “supports legislation that would expedite permitting and approvals and reduce barriers to the essential work of keeping powerlines clear of vegetation.”
The wildfires that burned near Los Angeles this month are a tragic reminder of what’s at stake if forests are improperly managed. The Fix Our Forests Act is a welcome step in implementing rational forest management policies that protect communities, public health, and the environment.