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Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Republican Conference, applauded the passage of H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Actin the House today.

“In Eastern Washington, the Colville National Forest has been the economic engine for Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties — providing jobs, energy, and recreational opportunities. This bill is a common sense solution that provides a sustainable revenue stream for rural schools and counties for years to come,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.

For far too long, our national forests have been managed by a strategy that fails to recognize the tremendous resource that our national forests hold. In fact, timber harvests in our National Forests have fallen 80% over the last 30 years. Forest health is at an all time low. Jobs are scarce and communities are decimated. This is unacceptable.

States have shown that they are able to produce several times more harvest and revenue from a smaller land base than the federal government. We need forest management policies that exploit these successes.

The Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act does just that. It allows responsible timber production on Forest Service commercial timber lands — areas that were specifically identified by the forest service for timber harvest. It also allows state and local governments to get more involved in preventing wildfires on federal lands, and lets counties actively manage portions of National Forest land.

McMorris Rodgers continues,“This bill renews the federal government’s commitment to manage federal forests for the benefits of schools and counties and will keep our forests healthy. It creates jobs, improves forest health, and strengthens our rural communities. It is a win-win for everyone.”