Rep. LaMalfa Urges Forest Service Chief to Accelerate Forest Management Projects, Fight Frivolous Lawsuits

PRESS RELEASE - March 1, 2016

Richvale, CA – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) today urged United States Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell to use the authority that the agency already has to accelerate fuel reduction, timber harvest, and post-fire salvage projects. LaMalfa also urged Chief Tidwell to fight back when groups file frivolous lawsuits to halt forest projects, give greater weight to the input of communities who live and work around forests, and to keep more forest roads open.

“There’s more board feet growing in the forest than we’re even coming close to managing, and we’re behind the ball when it comes trees that are not healthy, dead trees, and the trees-per acre. When we see that projects like the Westside salvage effort are only approved February 29 of this year, for a fire that occurred in 2014, most of the value of that project is already lost.

“When is the Forest going to stand up and spend its budget toward fighting lawsuits and doing actual forestry work? What’s your strategy to say no to these lawsuits and moving forward with the projects that need to be done?”

Video of LaMalfa’s exchange with Tidwell may be viewed at the following link: https://youtu.be/23-rml1tAjY