Schrier’s Forest Restoration Act Clears House Ag Committee

Last week, the House Ag Committee approved legislation that looks to restore damaged public lands. Earlier this year, Washington Representative Dr. Kim Schrier introduced the National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act. The bipartisan legislation looks to allow the Forest Service to collect and keep the interest earned on settlement funds in order to pay for restoration efforts. The bill now awaits consider for a vote on the House Floor.

Schrier said the legislation will ensure the federal government holds bad actors accountable for negligent behavior in a manner that provides the Forest Service with sufficient resources to protect our treasured public lands. Other lawmakers supporting the National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act include Montana Republican Matt Rosendale, Colorado Democrats Joe Neguse and California Republican Doug LaMalfa.

“This is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that would allow the Forest Service to collect and keep the interest earned on settlement funds, much like other Federal agencies can,” said Schrier noted, during her remarks. “The Forest Service provides many important environmental services in Washington state, including mitigating wildfires and improving forest health. This is especially critical in places like Chelan County in my district, where over 80% of the land is owned by the Forest Service. My bill will ensure that we hold bad actors accountable for negligent behavior in a manner that provides the Forest Service with sufficient resources to protect our treasured public lands.”

“I was glad that the Agriculture Committee passed this bill unanimously out of Committee today. It allows the U.S. Forest Service to use the additional interest they gather on accounts to continue restoration work. The Department of the Interior already has this authority, and it is time that this is extended to the Forest Service. As the 2021 fire season draws to a close, we unfortunately have millions of acres that will need to be restored. I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Schrier to ensure that the Forest Service has the authorities and tools they need to properly manage our forests,” added Rep. LaMalfa, Ranking Member of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee.

Right now, the Forest Service does not have the authority to retain interest on settlement funds like other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act would allow the Forest Service to retain interest on settlement funds and apply those additional resources to complete necessary restoration work. Without this additional funding, the value of settlement funds diminishes over time and the Forest Service can face long-term budget shortfalls for environmental clean-up.

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