{"id":3422,"date":"2014-07-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coloradowildlife.org\/uncategorized\/bad-forest-bills-2\/"},"modified":"2014-07-28T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T00:00:00","slug":"bad-forest-bills-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradowildlife.org\/bow\/bad-forest-bills-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Forest Bills"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Several western-based wildlfie federations have written a letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair July 28 re two bad forest bills: National Forest Jobs and Management Act (S.1966) and Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R.1526).<\/p>\n

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Here is the letter that 7 wildlife organizations sent to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair on July 28. The organizations are CWF, Montana Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Idaho Wildlife Federation, Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Arizona Wildlife Federation and South Dakota Wildlife Federation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

July 28, 2014<\/p>\n

The Honorable Mary Landrieu
\nChairwoman
\nEnergy and Natural Resources Committee
\nUS Senate
\nWashington, DC 20510<\/p>\n

RE: National Forest Jobs and Management Act (S. 1966) and
\nRestoring Healthy Forests for Health Communities Act (H.R. 1526)<\/p>\n

Dear Chairwoman Landrieu:<\/p>\n

Our organizations collectively represent tens of thousands of hunters, anglers and other conservationists across seven Western states. We write to you today to express our opposition to two national forest policy bills under consideration in your committee. We are opposed to the National Forest Jobs and Management Act (S. 1966) and the Restoring Healthy Forests for Health Communities Act (H.R. 1526) because of the severe and negative impact these bills would have on
\nwildlife habitat and public access.<\/p>\n

Hunting, angling, and outdoor recreation are an important part of the culture in the West. People who live here and visitors from all over the country enjoy spectacular hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-based recreation. These activities are also essential drivers for local economies. Across our seven states, hunting and fishing generate $10.3 billion a year in economic activity and support more than 104,000 jobs. This in turn generates almost $1.5 billion dollars in tax revenue: $784 million a year in federal taxes and $661 million in state and local taxes. Hunting and fishing in our region
\ndepend on national forests and other public lands. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, 77 percent of hunters in the Mountain West region hunt on public lands, a higher rate than any other part of the country.<\/p>\n

As residents of the West, we understand the need for better management of national forests. We live in communities that face the threat of catastrophic wildfire. We see the on-the-ground impact that poorly-managed forests have on wildlife habitat and water supplies. We also have members who work in the forest products industry and have experienced the impacts of declining timber harvests. In response, our organizations have worked to improve forest management by working with other stakeholders to reach collaborative solutions at the local level. We have invested years \u2013 in some
\ncases decades \u2013 working on the ground to develop practical solutions that protect wildlife habitat, improve forest health, and support local economies. These proposals are embodied in bills like Senator Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act (S. 37) and Senator Ron Wyden’s Oregon and California Land Grant Act (S. 1784).<\/p>\n

Rather than supporting practical solutions for forest management, S. 1966 and H.R. 1526 repudiate local collaboration and mandate an unrealistic, one-size-fits all approach. These bills disregard all of the lessons we have learned over the years about effective forest management. They would:<\/p>\n