Oregon Congressman Cliff Bentz and fellow Republicans in the US House of Representatives are working to restore America's forest health.
US Representative Bentz on Tuesday introduced House Resolution 8790, the "Fix Our Forests Act," which revives and prioritizes forest health while safeguarding communities by streamlining environmental studies, minimizing lawsuits and accelerating the implementation of necessary forest restoration projects.
Bentz said it's a bipartisan bill that will increase our ability to fight catastrophic wildfires and help protect Oregon communities. For too long, he said our forests have suffered from poorly designed and implemented forest management policies.
Bentz said more than 117 million acres of national forests are overgrown, turning into unhealthy and incredibly dangerous tinderboxes. He said the "Fix Our Forests Act" directs the use of best available technology to support active and reasonable management of our federal lands.
According to HR 8790, the legislation would allow forest managers to prioritize those forests at highest risk of wildfire. Forest managers will be able to improve powerline safety, and increase federal, state, tribal and local collaboration through the creation of a new Fireshed Center, expanded Good Neighbor Authority and better designed Shared Stewardship initiatives.
