(From the Desk of James E. Risch, August 28, 2023)
A new fire season is already underway, but a web of federal red tape prevents Idaho and other states from taking commonsense steps to reduce fuels in our forests.
Congress needs to take a hard look at failures of the past and use the 2023 Farm Bill to implement new, effective policies that build healthier and more resilient forests.
Commonsense solutions like my legislation, the Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act, and reversing the disastrous 2015 Cottonwood decision are two approaches that can help.
- The Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act, which I introduced with Senator Crapo and Rep. Russ Fulcher, would empower and incentivize Tribal and county governments to conduct fuel treatment and conservation projects.
- The Cottonwood decision gave obstructionist litigants a loop hole to tie up responsible forest management in court. Reversing it will reduce red tape and allow these important projects to proceed.
Active forest management is critical for Idaho and deserves a place in the 2023 Farm Bill.
