HOUSE PASSES RESILIENT FEDERAL FOREST ACT OF 2015
Today the House of Representatives passed legislation supported by ACWA, HR 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 by a vote of 262-167.
HR 2647 would work within existing federal authorities to expedite forest management activities in the National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management to promote healthy, resilient forests and prevent high intensity wildfires. It incentivizes collaboration with the private sector for management activities and would end the practice of transferring money out of vital Forest Service programs and services in order to fund wildfire suppression costs.
“With many of the state’s headwaters increasingly at risk of wildfires, action is needed to help safeguard California’s future water supply reliability and water quality. This legislation provides vital tools for us to actively manage our forests and protect our precious water supply,” said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies.
A copy of HR 2647 can be found here.
Tags: federal, forest, legislation, policy