"Promoting Forest Health and Resiliency Through Improved Active Management"

2025-09-10

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Summary

This hearing addressed promoting forest health and resiliency through improved active management, focusing on issues facing the U.S. Forest Service and communities in forested areas, particularly concerning catastrophic wildfires and the need for better forest management practices [ 00:07:38 ] . Members sought feedback and recommendations on how Congress could encourage more active forest management, restore forest health, promote forest product use, and reduce wildfire threats [ 00:08:30 ] .

Wildfire Crisis and Active Management

The Western U.S. experiences devastating wildfires annually, with millions of acres burned, leading to significant loss of forests, homes, property, wildlife, and environmental damage [ 00:08:51-00:08:58 ]

. This crisis is attributed to inadequate management over decades, and active, science-based management is crucial to address it [ 00:09:02 ] . Active management involves targeted thinning, prescribed fire, fuels reduction, and other practices to restore ecosystems and reduce wildfire risks to communities, not large-scale clear-cutting . Urgent action is needed to increase the pace and scale of forest management and reduce hazardous fuels [ 00:09:50 ] . Despite some promising initiatives like increased timber harvest targets and emergency authorities, Congress needs to do more to support agencies, states, tribes, and partners [ 00:09:55 ] . The Forest Service's wildfire crisis strategy aims to address 50 million acres of high-risk firesheds through fuel and timber reduction .

Forest Service Capacity and Administration

Concerns were raised about the U.S. Forest Service's diminished capacity due to workforce reductions and reorganization proposals . As many as 5,000 employees have been lost, primarily new and experienced staff, creating critical gaps in knowledge and local capacity . The Department of Agriculture's proposed reorganization to centralize staff and research in distant hubs threatens to strip away local expertise and essential partnerships . Budget proposals also include deep reductions to programs that help state, tribal, and private partners carry out active management, undermining cooperative agreements and cross-boundary projects . Reductions in the agency's research and development arm, including a 24% decline at the Pacific Northwest Research Station, hinder science-informed management practices crucial for evolving threats like climate change, insects, and pathogens .

Importance of Partnerships and Tools

The success of active forest management heavily relies on partnerships with tribes, states, local governments, universities, and private landowners, who bring unique tools and expertise . Programs like Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), Service First Agreements, and shared stewardship have proven effective in collaborative efforts . GNA has been critical for states to increase the pace of cooperative federal land management, completing over 66,000 acres of fuels and forest health projects and generating over 840 million board feet of timber . The Service First Model, particularly with tribes like Mooretown Rancheria, demonstrates an efficient means of deploying forest management funding, especially for fuels reduction and ecosystem enhancement projects . However, Forest Service personnel can be hesitant to use new tools like Service First unless they are already familiar with them, and training is needed to improve adoption .

Economic Aspects and Market Challenges

The volume of timber harvest on national forests has declined by over 75% in recent decades, with current harvest levels far below authorized amounts and below what is needed for forest health . This decline has severely impacted the logging industry, leading to 150 mill closures in the past 36 months, which jeopardizes the infrastructure necessary for forest management . The U.S. is now the largest importer of softwood lumber, despite domestic sawmills operating below capacity [ 00:24:17 ]

. Support for markets is crucial, as "no markets, no management" . Utilizing low-value, unmerchantable timber, especially biomass for power generation, is a key challenge due to limited infrastructure and high transportation costs . Revitalizing domestic timber production and processing, alongside addressing trade policies, is essential to sustain the wood products industry and enable effective forest management .

Roadless Rule Debate

The rescission of the 2001 roadless rule by the administration has generated debate . Critics argue that roadless areas are remote and not where wildfire poses the greatest threat to communities, and that opening them up for industrial access distracts from priorities <citation data-start-id="2.30" data-end-id="2.32"]">. Research suggests that fire risk increases in areas with roads and human activity, as humans cause up to 85% of wildfires . Conversely, proponents argue the roadless rule was an artificial restriction that blocked access needed for forest management, and that nearly half of roadless acres are in high or very high wildfire risk areas, with over 8 million roadless acres having burned since the rule's enactment . The debate highlights a conflict between protecting pristine areas and the need for access to actively manage forests for fire prevention and health .

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was largely one of deep concern and urgency regarding the escalating wildfire crisis and the deteriorating health of national forests [ 00:09:50 ]

. There was a shared sense among members and witnesses that current approaches are insufficient and that more needs to be done [ 00:09:50 ] . While there was bipartisan agreement on the need for active management, specific administrative actions, such as Forest Service reorganization and roadless rule changes, were points of contention and frustration, particularly from Democratic members . Witnesses provided expert insights, often emphasizing the complexity of the issues and the need for sustained, science-informed, and collaborative solutions [ 00:51:19 ] . There was a strong call for legislative action through the Farm Bill to codify improvements and support forest managers and rural communities [ 00:10:56 ] .