Last month, a milestone was achieved – the Fix Our Forests Act advanced from the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, with bipartisan support; a critical step closer to becoming law.
“Our forests are standing taller today. The Fix Our Forests Act will deliver science, efficiency and urgency to responsible management of our forests. From protecting communities to restoring forests, the Fix Our Forests Act ensures America’s forests are ready for the future,” said Hilary Franz, President and CEO of American Forests.
American Forests extends thanks to the bill’s sponsors: Senators Curtis, Hickenlooper, Padilla, and Sheehy and offers special appreciation to Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar, along with Democrat Senators Lujan, Warnock, Welch, Fetterman, and Slotkin, and their Republican colleagues, Senators McConnell, Hoeven, Ernst, Hyde-Smith, Marshall, Tuberville, Justice, Grassley, Thune, Fischer and Moran for supporting this vital legislation.
The rising risk of wildfire is an urgent and far-reaching crisis. We are losing our forests to disease, insect infestation drought, extreme wildfire, drought a, and to invasive insects and diseases that are ravaging hundreds of millions of trees, from economically vital species like Douglas-fir and white oak, to irreplaceable heritage species like giant sequoias. Wildfires and the loss of forests don’t just devastate landscapes; they disrupt the very systems that sustain us. They endanger our drinking water, agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, homes and the outdoor traditions and livelihoods that shape our way of life.
Our public land agencies are facing many challenges; today’s bipartisan action on the Fix our Forests Act demonstrates that prioritizing forest health can and should continue.
American Forests strongly supports the Fix Our Forests Act because it advances bipartisan collaboration, innovation and science-based, practical solutions that restore forest health, reduces wildfire risk and protects communities and economies across the country. Last year, we proudly supported our champions in the House as the Fix Our Forests Act took shape. Now, as the bill advances in the Senate, it’s even stronger focus on collaboration and reforestation reflects what American Forests does best, partnering with federal land managers to reforest America.
As American Forests and 28 of our partner organizations recently noted in our letter to Congress:
“Despite widespread recognition of the need to mitigate the threats posed by catastrophic wildfire and ecosystem degradation, our lands and communities are at risk now more than ever before. Congress has an opportunity and responsibility to act.”
The Fix Our Forests Act answers that call.
It will:
- Accelerate planning and implementation of wildfire risk reduction projects on federal lands.
- Expand collaborative tools to bring more partners into this vital work.
- Bolster the use of prescribed fire to help reduce fire severity and restore ecosystems.
- Support reforestation and including replanting efforts of iconic systems like the priceless white oak forests of the Eastern U.S.
- Establish a Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program to address risk in our communities and other built environments.
- Create a Fire Intelligence Center to improve interagency coordination and adoption of new technologies.
American Forests looks forward to continuing this work with our many partners and supporters to get this critical legislation passed in the Senate and enacted into law. Together, we can create a safer, healthier and more resilient future for America’s forests and the communities that depend on them.
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ABOUT AMERICAN FORESTS: American Forests is the first national nonprofit conservation organization created in the U.S. Since its founding in 1875, the organization has been the pathfinders for the forest conservation movement. Its mission is to create healthy and resilient forests, from cities to large natural landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. The organization advances its mission through forestry, innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. For more information visit: www.americanforests.org