Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a markup on a controversial forestry bill. The bill was reported out of committee with a vote of 18-5.
The misleadingly titled “Fix Our Forests Act” claims to address wildfires, but actually enables timber companies to pursue vastly increased logging activities in national forests. The version marked up at today’s hearing is the Senate version of a bill originally introduced into the House of Representatives by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). Both versions of the bill include provisions that would vastly increase the cutting of old-growth and mature trees, weaken environmental protection laws, including the Endangered Species Act, and limit public input and judicial oversight of logging projects in national forests.
The markup comes as the federal government shutdown, forced by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans, enters its fourth week. Many land management staffers have gone nearly a month without pay, and funding for critical agencies like the U.S. Forest Service has been paused. At the same time, the Trump administration announced another round of layoffs targeting public lands staff, including hundreds of park rangers.
In response, Anna Medema, Sierra Club’s Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy for Forests and Public Lands, released the following statement:
“It’s more than telling that Congressional Republicans are focusing on a handout to the timber industry instead of reopening the government. Critical public services are running out of funding, federal workers are missing paychecks, but the Trump administration and its allies can find the time to advance a bill giving logging CEOs free rein in our national forests. If they were interested in doing what’s best for our national forests, Congressional Republicans would re-open the government and fund the Forest Service. Instead, they’re trying to sneak through a favor to their allies in the timber industry. We applaud Senators Bennet, Booker, Durbin, Schiff, and Smith for opposing this legislation after a markup process that ignored key concerns.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.