“Currently, the process for cleanup and recovery on federal lands is burdensome at best,” said Rehberg a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “Bureaucratic red tape forces federal agencies to wait years in some cases before beginning cleanup efforts.  This practice doesn’t make sense and poses a threat to rural economies relying on the timber industry.

“In some instances, the cleanup process is forced to wait two years after a disaster occurs.  Most folks wouldn’t wait two years to remove a dead tree from their backyard if they knew the environmental quality of their property was threatened.”

            The legislation gives the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management 30 days to evaluate and recommend any restoration work or salvage projects following fires or storms that damage more than 1,000 acres of public lands.  Damage between 250 and 1,000 acres would be evaluated at the agencies’ discretion.  The bill’s aim is to streamline a burdensome recovery process that results in inefficiencies and loss of valuable wood. Rehberg said the legislation does not weaken any environmental protection laws.

            Last fall’s hurricanes damaged more than six million acres along the Gulf Coast.  As a result, millions of trees are now dead and face heightened susceptibility to bug infestation, increased risk of unnaturally hot wildfire and a difficult road to recovery.  Expedited recovery processes would help restore damaged forests, limit the risk of wildfire, and reduce danger to the public.