Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Improve Forest Management

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, and Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Root & Stem Act with the support of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The legislation provides the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management with a clear statutory tool to treat forests more efficiently and empower collaborative processes through “Root & Stem” projects.

“I have seen firsthand how these collaborative projects can benefit both local economies and the environment,” said Rep. Newhouse. “By encouraging ‘Root & Stem’ projects, we can ensure more effective stewardship of our resources and desperately-needed management of our forests. I am proud to partner with Representative Peters to introduce this bipartisan legislation because it is a necessary step in reversing decades of mismanagement and restoring healthy federal forests.”

The Root & Stem Act provides statutory authority to federal agencies to increase collaboration with states, local communities, tribes, and private industry through stewardship agreements like the A to Z Project in the Colville National Forest. This legislation will allow the agencies to accomplish more hazardous fuels reduction and empower the agencies to engage with state, local, and tribal partners to ensure forest management projects compliment ongoing conservation efforts, benefit communities, and protect local ecosystems.

"The Colville Tribes appreciates Congressman Newhouse's continued efforts to increase the pace and scale of forest management on our federal lands,” said Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. “The Root & Stem Act would ensure collaborative work supported by local communities can be carried out in a timely manner and would provide the Secretary discretion to use receipts to cover the costs of planning and restoration that otherwise would be limited by agency budgets.  The Colville Tribes and other tribes have unfortunately witnessed fires on undermanaged federal lands either spread on-reservation or tie up suppression resources for on-reservation fires, and the Act would provide a new tool to prevent these situations from occurring in the future. The Colville Tribes supports the bill and looks forward to utilizing its authorities to continue cross-boundary stewardship work in Washington state."

"The Root & Stem Act will accelerate forest management projects that are smart and rooted in science to protect our ecosystems and climate," said Rep. Peters. "As we combat the increasing risks of wildfires and drought due to climate change, bipartisan action to protect our forests and public lands will be more critical than ever. I thank Chairman Newhouse for his partnership on this legislation."

You can read the full text of the Root & Stem Act here.
 
Background:
 
The Root & Stem Act will:

• Authorize the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to propose and enter into stewardship contracts and agreements prior to the completion of environmental review
• Allow for the preparation of the environmental analysis to be included as a service item (i.e. paid for with timber receipts) in the stewardship contract or agreement, provided the environmental analysis would be completed by an independent third party and the agency retains final decision authority for both the environmental analysis and the project
• Ensure Root & Stem projects are developed through a collaborative process and protect the collaborative process and consensus-driven management by:
  • Clearly defining “collaborative process” to eliminate confusion and encourage the use of the Root & Stem tool
  • Affirming that participants can intervene in any subsequent civil action and are considered full participants in any potential settlement negotiation relating to the project to ensure local voices are heard 

Companion legislation, introduced by Senators Steve Daines (MT) and Dianne Feinstein (CA), was unanimously reported out of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining on June 7, 2022.
 

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