In this age of suburban sprawl, it is refreshing to see that Montana is different than the rest of the country: the last best place. As a certified forester myself, I have seen the devastating effect of decades of bad forest policy coming from Congress. Often, what Washington touches quickly becomes a bureaucratic mess, and forest management is no exception.
I was elated to hear Congressman Ryan Zinke introduced comprehensive forest reform that strikes at the root of the problem that negatively impacts our timber communities and economy. Zinke’s colleagues liked the idea too and included it in a broader bill, The Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (H.R. 2647). The bill cuts through the red tape that is choking our forests.
Environmental impact studies have become an extraordinarily bloated process, that compromise their effectiveness. Zinke’s bill would allow for categorical exclusions for projects done by cooperatives up to 15,000 acres. These exclusions do not mean there are no reports on environmental impact. It just streamlines the process so projects can be completed in a timely manner, saving money and resources.
This bill also addresses the second largest drain on U.S. Forest Service resources: frivolous lawsuits waged by special interest groups. Many times, special interest groups sue the USFS after they make the decision to not participate in the planning of a project. This new legislation requires that any group that chooses to not participate in a project planning but then decides to sue the Forest Service anyway must post a bond for the taxpayer cost to defend it. If the plaintiff wins, they get their money back. If they lose, the Forest Service gets back the money they spent. For far too long, lawsuits have held our timber communities hostage.
Currently, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 is before the entire House Chamber, and hopefully, onto the Senate where I hope Senators Daines and Tester will sign on board.
Inaction is not an option. Combining passage of HR2647 along with the Daines and Tester sponsored Wildfire Disaster Funding Act will go a long way toward addressing the management failures of our forests and I applaud Congressman Zinke for introducing critical forest reforms when we need it most.
Sen. Patrick Connell (43rd State Senate District)
Certified Forester
Hamilton