Legislation to speed forest thinning on federal lands to reduce wildfire threats passed the House Tuesday but faces little chance of consideration in the Senate.
By a vote of 268-151, the Republican-led House passed the “Fix Our Forests Act,” H.R. 8790, sponsored by House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). Fifty-five Democrats crossed the aisle to vote for the bill, while no Republicans opposed it.
“This is a good bill that will help us finally turn the tide against the historic forest health crisis,” Westerman said during floor debate.
The legislation includes a range of provisions supported by members of both parties, including stepping up forest projects in areas at the highest risk of wildfire and boosting research on fire-resilient construction and community wildfire preparation. More than 7 million acres of forest in the U.S. have burned in wildfires so far this year, according to federal agencies.
