As the United States struggles through a current lumber shortage, senators from both sides of the aisle recently expressed concerns about the trajectory of federally owned forest lands and the rural communities and economies that rely on those lands. As a result, the National Association of State Foresters says it is encouraged by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources' hearing this month to consider Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) O&C bill, which would increase harvests and provide a steady supply of trees from federal O&C lands, as well as Sen. John Barrasso's (R-Wy.) National Forest Jobs and Management Act of 2014, which provides for the restoration of the economic and ecological health of National Forest System land and rural communities.
As the United States struggles through a current lumber shortage, senators from both sides of the aisle recently expressed concerns about the trajectory of federally owned forest lands and the rural communities and economies that rely on those lands. As a result, the National Association of State Foresters says it is encouraged by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources' hearing this month to consider Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) O&C bill, which would increase harvests and provide a steady supply of trees from federal O&C lands, as well as Sen. John Barrasso's (R-Wy.) National Forest Jobs and Management Act of 2014, which provides for the restoration of the economic and ecological health of National Forest System land and rural communities.
NASF's Resolution 2013-4 states that "the pace and scale of active forest management must increase substantially to begin to restore our federal forests to a more sustainable, resilient condition, and to provide the continued benefits of a viable forest products business sector, clean air, clean water, recreation opportunities, wildlife habitat, and commodities for our nation's economy."
"State foresters … hope that we can move forward with real federal forest management reform," Chris Maisch, Alaska State Forester and NASF president, said in a statement. "We commend Sen. Barrasso for bringing forward the National Forest Jobs and Management Act and putting his ideas on the table. The 15-year pilot program envisioned under the bill addresses many concerns that state foresters have with the status quo of federal forest management. NASF looks forward to further reviewing Sen. Barrasso's bill, and we are committed to working to find a bi-partisan solution to break the current management gridlock on federal forests across the entire country to improve forest health and ensure continued delivery of the social, economic and ecological benefits forests provide."
