RMEF action alert. "Fix Our Forests Act" 119th Congress H.R.471

[44hunter45]

I'm just starting to research this. It being the off season, let's see if we can get educated about it before the admins have to lock it.

Take Action

Effortlessly contact your state and federal lawmakers to make your voice heard on issues that impact wildlife and elk country.

www.rmef.org

 

[44hunter45]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/471

 

[jimh406]

That should be easy to pass.

 

[44hunter45]

That should be easy to pass.

Seems to have a lot of buy-in.

 

[Sytes]

Good on RMEF to send this out to all members - The value of a strong conservation organization.

 

[BigHornRam]

Same old, same old, opposition on this bill. Let's get this one done.

‘Fix Our Forests Act’ Only Fixes for Logging

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on January 23 on the misleadingly named “Fix Our Forests Act,” which aims to open public lands to massive logging projects under the guise of preventing wildfires. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), who...

defenders.org

https://environmentamerica.org/articles/the-fix-our-forests-act-wont-actually-fix-our-forests/

 

[Bonasababy]

Careful what you wish for.

 

[Big Fin]

I’m on board with this one.

And after this, let’s tweak the EAJA so nonprofits cannot get reimbursement under that law, or establish a net asset limit for nonprofits seeking reimbursement, the same as applies to individuals and corporations.

And then, tweak the Wild Horse & Burro Act to force compliance, even if lethal removal is necessary to accomplish such and remove any horses/burros that are out the original ranges at the time this law was passed.

 

[elkduds]

Boebert and Zinke support it.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Careful what you wish for.

Why?

 

[BigHornRam]

Boebert and Zinke support it.

Blind squirrels found an acorn.

 

[Nameless Range]

Sounds good. It's frustrating to see certain groups successful in stopping projects that would be on-net very beneficial to wildlife over and over again. On top of the projects themselves being stopped, an efficiency lost is how much effort and preparation the agencies put into trying their level best to make those project proposals bullet proof to litigation - and often failing anyway. Like years of planning go into projects that go nowhere, when those folks could be doing better things with their time. And so the looming litigation that waits for every project compounds the lack of work agencies should be doing.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Blind squirrels found an acorn.

Boebert can obviously find stuff in the dark - just needs to be a movie theater.

 

[Big Fin]

……. and Zinke support it.

Zinke has been a huge road block for the Utah delegation on their dreams to liquidate or transfer public lands. His staff had been good to work with. As former Secretary of Interior he has a better idea of how the Department works than any of the Utah delegation.

Hunters would be well served to work with Zinke whenever possible. It will help keep him as an ally on access and public lands issues.

 

[elkduds]

Our excellent CO rep Brittany Petterson (the anti-Boebert, constituent-focused, professional, diligent, not gaudy, democrat) is also a cosponsor. Bipartisan enough for me. @Big Fin, thanks for correcting part of my Zinke bias. If anyone knows, it's you. Bipartisaning is hard.

 

[Bonasababy]

Why?

Admittedly reacting to what I think it is more than from a thorough reading of what it is.

I certainly don't agree with some of the opposition, but grudgingly admit they aren't all wrong--such bills can swing the pendulum completely the other way.

We don't want forests aggressively cut and cleared over a short time period--we want a mix of young and old with various conditions for most everything we hunt, and the same for our fishing (yes forests and forest management dramatically affect them too).

NEPA review is a royal mess but afraid the intent here it to give it all to industry NOW--rather than manage it sustainably for all goals, or even our goals...over time.

GNA for example has been both good and bad in my state. Can't go into it any further at this time.

It's kind of an end around fix to the bigger problem and afraid the fix can swing so far in the wrong way that it will be too late once that's realized.

Love to be proven wrong though!

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Our excellent CO rep Brittany Petterson (the anti-Boebert, constituent-focused, professional, diligent, not gaudy, democrat) is also a cosponsor. Bipartisan enough for me. @Big Fin, thanks for correcting part of my Zinke bias. If anyone knows, it's you. Bipartisaning is hard

Happy to see that. I don’t agree with her on many social issues but she seems very focused on local issues. Met her at a town hall session and was impressed. She comes across as a reasonable, moderate Dem, which is sort of an dying breed in Colorado.

 

[SAJ-99]

And after this, let’s tweak the EAJA so nonprofits cannot get reimbursement under that law, or establish a net asset limit for nonprofits seeking reimbursement, the same as applies to individuals and corporations.

And then, tweak the Wild Horse & Burro Act to force compliance, even if lethal removal is necessary to accomplish such and remove any horses/burros that are out the original ranges at the time this law was passed.

Why not do that first? This FOF is essentially an act to bypass NEPA review. I don't like the idea of having to create legislation to bypass other legislation. At some point that NEPA review might be useful to stop some crappy development on wintering grounds. I would rather they fix the EAJA directly.

 

[Big Fin]

Why not do that first? This FOF is essentially an act to bypass NEPA review. I don't like the idea of having to create legislation to bypass other legislation. At some point that NEPA review might be useful to stop some crappy development on wintering grounds. I would rather they fix the EAJA directly.

The biggest change to come of this bill is to nullify the “Cottonwood Decision,” a decision that just about every USFS leader, under many different administrations, identifies as making land management all but impossible in the current litigation environment. There are Dems who see the impossibility that decision causes, including former Senator Tester, and they have provided support for this bill.

I suspect if this passes, the next step will be to tweak EAJA. Some knot heads will want to go way too far and that might kill any efforts that would be beneficial tweaks. The litigators will obviously oppose any change that hurts their business model. The art of getting support for improvement to that law will be using a scalpel, not a hatchet.

 

[BigHornRam]

Why not do that first? This FOF is essentially an act to bypass NEPA review. I don't like the idea of having to create legislation to bypass other legislation. At some point that NEPA review might be useful to stop some crappy development on wintering grounds. I would rather they fix the EAJA directly.

The FOF has bipartisan support. Do you think there would be bipartisan support to fix the EAJA. I don't for a minute.