Earthjustice Slams House Vote on Fix Our Forests Act

September 24, 2024

Earthjustice Slams House Vote on Fix Our Forests Act

"True forest management requires engaging communities and utilizing proven best practices, not opening our lands to more reckless logging operations."

Contacts

Geoffrey Nolan, [email protected]

Washington, D.C.-

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act.While proponents of the bill claim it will address forest management and wildfires, it would primarily undermine bedrock environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) while harming the ability to protect communities from wildfire. After the vote, Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative Blaine Miller-McFeeley issued the following statement:

"We certainly want to protect communities from wildfires, but this bill is not the answer. Instead of providing impacted communities with the proven tools and techniques they need to keep themselves safe, this bill is nothing more than a trojan horse for gutting bedrock environmental laws dressed up under the more palatable guise of wildfire management. True forest management requires engaging communities and utilizing proven best practices, not opening our lands to more reckless logging operations. We urge the Senate to reject this bill."

An old-growth Douglas fir stands in the fog in the Siuslaw National Forest in western Oregon. (David Herasimtschuk)

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About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.