The House approved bipartisan legislation Thursday aimed at speeding up forest-thinning projects that can prevent wildfires.
H.R. 471, the “Fix Our Forests Act,” passed 279-141, with 64 Democrats — including some progressives — voting in favor of the measure, sponsored by House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.).
Other Democrats, including Natural Resources ranking member Jared Huffman, also of California, said the legislation went too far in easing environmental protections.
The proposal would allow forest-thinning projects to take place in designated high-risk “firesheds” with limited scrutiny under the National Environmental Policy Act. have framed it as necessary to speed up forest management.
