What is S.192? Introduced by Senators Merkley and Wyden, the bill (known as the ‘River Democracy Act’) would add nearly 4,700 miles of Oregon “rivers” to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Here’s why it’s a really bad idea: First, what are “Wild and Scenic Rivers?” The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968…
In July alone, wildfires burning across the Western U.S. emitted enough carbon dioxide to wipe out more than half of the region’s pandemic-driven emissions reductions in 2020. California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington saw fossil-fuel emissions decline by around 69 million tons of carbon dioxide last year. But from July 1 to July 25, fires in…
Active forest management, including thinning fire-prone forests, is a good way to reduce the risk of forest fires. Decades of lack of management have left federal forests overstocked with disease and insect ridden trees and standing dead timber that fuel catastrophic wildfires. Over 80 million acres of national forests are at risk of severe wildfire…
Overstocked federal forests are fueling massive catastrophic wildfires like the Labor Day fires that burned over 1 million acres in Oregon. Despite the clear need to thin these forests to reduce wildfire risks, Oregon’s senators want to further restrict federal forest thinning and fuels reduction across 3 million acres in Oregon. Oregon’s senators have proposed…
The following is a recent position paper from our partners at Citizens for Sensible Forest Management, a grassroots group of concerned citizens who are concerned about the future of our forests and communities. Their position paper, which we support, articulates a path forward for real solutions for wildfires, climate change and other key issues. Executive…
Last month the Biden Administration issued a report suggesting United States must double or quadruple the rate at which it thins and removes dead wood from its forests to reduce the threat of wildfires. The call for increased forest management comes after a record wildfire season in 2020 that burned more than 10 million acres, nearly half…
So far we’ve seen major forest fires from Wisconsin to New Jersey. An active fire on New Mexico’s Lincoln National Forest is being described as a “wake-up call.” Bone-dry conditions elsewhere in the west are stoking predictions of another bad summer. Wildfires are rising up the agenda in Washington DC. Lots of bills have been…
Anyone who pays taxes or recreates on national forests in Oregon should support the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to remove dead and dying trees that pose safety hazards to the public. In the face of liability concerns, failure to act means the agency will be forced to close forest roads where hazard trees are found.…
Rebuilding America’s infrastructure has been a bipartisan priority for years. Now it is Joe Biden’s turn. The president has unveiled a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan that will fuel plenty of debate in the months ahead. We hope both Republicans and Democrats can agree on the need to invest in two key priorities for our forests:…