House Passes Bipartisan Solution Protecting America’s Forests Against Catastrophic Wildfires

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act, sponsored by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). This historic and bipartisan legislation will spur active forest management in the U.S. and protect rural communities in the wildland-urban interface.

"America's forests are on life support after decades of mismanagement. The clock on these ticking time bombs is down to the final few seconds, and Congress must move swiftly to save our forests from imminent destruction. Today, the House took decisive action on the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which will empower local land managers and agencies with tools to enact the most vital forest management projects. The time to fix our forests is now."- House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

"Poor land management, senseless bureaucracy, and increasingly common wildfires pose severe threats to America's forests. The Fix Our Forests Act creates responsible land management practices and encourages healthy, vibrant forests that our children and grandchildren will enjoy for generations to come. I commend Rep. Westerman's leadership in protecting America's natural beauty." - Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.)

"Wildfires have already burned over 7.3 million acres across the United States in 2024. They release over 1.7 billion tons of CO2 every year, cost billions in property damage, and endanger millions through smoke exposure. These numbers cannot speak to the heavy weight borne by those who have lost their homes and loved ones. San Diego knows this pain all too well. Last year, we commemorated the 20th anniversary of the devastating Cedar Fire that killed 17 people, burned more than 3,200 homes and buildings, and caused $17 million of damage. We remember the terror and fear people felt when they had to evacuate. It is with the memory of those victims in mind that I introduced this legislation and fought for its passage in the House. I will continue to work on behalf of my constituents, all Americans, and the environment to change the status quo that treats megafires as the new status quo and not a problem we can tackle." - U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.)

Background

The Fix Our Forests Act is a historic and comprehensive package that will encourage active forest management and support community resiliency to wildfires by expediting environmental analyses, reducing frivolous lawsuits and increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration projects.

The bill will:

• Simplify and expedite environmental reviews for forest management projects
• Promote federal, state, tribal and local collaboration
• Deter frivolous litigation that delays essential projects
• Create a framework for prioritizing treatments in the forests at highest risk of wildfire
• Encourage adoption of state-of-the-art science and data for federal land managers
• Encourage active management to improve the safety of powerlines and other infrastructure
• Strengthen tools like Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting

The legislation passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 268-151. It now awaits action in the Senate.

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