Fix Our Forests Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment to the Fix Our Forests Act, a terrific piece of bipartisan legislation, and I compliment both Chairman Westerman and the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters) for their leadership on this.

My amendment would, if enacted, secure the future of the American white oak, which is one of the most important tree species in the Eastern United States. It occupies 104 million acres in this country and is vital for biodiversity, wildlife, and our economy.

American white oak is used in almost every forest product, including furniture, flooring, cabinetry, barrels for aging wine, American whiskey and, yes, Kentucky bourbon, which is America's native spirit by the definition passed by Congress, and which must be aged in new charred white oak barrels.

Kentucky's Sixth District is home to some of the world's most renowned distilleries. The industry as a whole produces over $9 billion and more than 23,000 jobs for the Commonwealth annually. Additionally, Kentucky distillers exported over $500 million worth of products abroad in 2022.

The problem is that while there is ample mature white oak now, there will not be in the future unless immediate and widespread action is taken. Young stands of white oak simply don't exist in the amount needed to support wildlife and sustainable forestry and do not exist for the future of the bourbon industry.

Reforestation of white oak is challenging because without some additional assistance here, white oak is extremely slow growing. Over the next 20 years, the population of white oak is expected to drop considerably, which will have a significant negative impact on Kentucky's ability to age and produce bourbon.

My amendment addresses this specifically by establishing the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition to encourage the Forest Service to work alongside private and State partners at no cost to the taxpayer.

Additionally, the amendment asks the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to regenerate white oak through a series of pilot projects in national parks and on volunteered private lands.

Lastly, it allows the Forest Service to enter into memorandums of understanding with land grant institutions to conduct much-needed research on white oak.

This bipartisan amendment does not authorize any new spending or programs but instead would work within existing programs and agency budgets to preserve our heritage and fortify an industry that is critical to Kentucky's economy and is America's native spirit.

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Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I would just say to my friend from California that former Speaker Henry Clay, who was famous for bringing barrels of white oak filled with Kentucky whiskey up to the Capitol Building, used to famously say that Kentucky bourbon could lubricate the wheels of government. I would hope that the gentlewoman would take that into consideration in withdrawing her opposition to this very important amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield time to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the sponsor of the legislation and the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.

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Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is a win-win. It is a win for reforestation, it is a win for the Kentucky bourbon industry, and it certainly will help this important bipartisan legislation, Fix Our Forests Act, pass.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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