Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003-Conference Report

HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT OF 2003-CONFERENCE REPORT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President: I rise today in strong support of the conference report for the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003.

I especially thank my colleagues-Senator Cochran, Senator Domenici, Senator Crapo, Senator Craig, Senator Lincoln, Senator Wyden, and Senator Feinstein for the leadership they demonstrated in addressing this national crisis that affects all Americans, particularly those who live in the urban-wildland interface.

The conference report is a major step forward toward preventing the severe wildland forest and rangeland fires that have become an annual event. What is more important is that the human tragedy associated with wildfires the heartbreak of losing one's home and possessions, the economic losses, and the dangers that wildfires pose to our devoted wildland firefighters will be reduced through the sound forest management practices provided for in this legislation.

The 2002 and 2003 fire seasons have been some of the worst on record nationally. Forest fires continue to create extensive problems for many Americans, predominantly for those living and working in the West. In 2002, Alaska alone experienced fires that burned more than one million acres.

These catastrophic wildfires caused great damage to our forested lands; many were already vulnerable as a result of unaddressed insect and disease damage.

Deteriorating forest and rangeland health now affects more than 190 million acres of public land, an area twice the size of California.

In my home State of Alaska, the damage caused by the spruce bark beetle, especially on the Kenai Peninsula has been devastating. Over 5 million acres of trees in south central and interior Alaska have been lost to insects over the last 10 years.

I am particularly enthusiastic that this legislation authorizes and expedites fuel reduction treatment on Federal land on which the existence of disease or insect infestation has occurred, such as those on the Kenai Peninsula. Federal land managers will now be able to manage these dead and dying tree stands.

The key to long-term forest management on the Kenai Peninsula is to manage the forested landscape for a variety of species compositions, structures and age classes; not simply unmanaged stands. The legislation before us will do just that, and will prevent a reoccurrence of the type of spruce bark beetle mortality we have experienced in Alaska.

I firmly believe that this conference report is a comprehensive plan focused on giving Federal land managers and their partners the tools they need to respond to a national forest health crisis. The legislation directs the timely implementation of scientifically supported management activities to protect the health and vibrancy of Federal forest ecosystems as well as the communities and private lands that surround them.

Under this legislation, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture will conduct authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act with a critical, streamlined process.

Additionally, for those authorized fuel reduction projects proposed to be conducted in the wildland-urban interface, the Secretaries will be able to expedite such projects without the need to analyze and describe more than the proposed agency action and one alternative action. In other words, we can now get the work on the ground done quickly.

Still, the Secretaries must continue to provide for public comment during the preparation of any environmental assessment or EIS for these authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects. The public process is not undermined in this legislation.

I also support the proposed new administrative review process associated with these authorized fuel reduction projects. Too often we have become mired in administrative appeal gridlock in this country at the expense of communities at risk to wildland fire. We saw such devastation recently in the State of California.

This legislation will establish a fair and balanced predecisional review process. Specific, written comments must be submitted during the scoping or public comment period.

Additionally, civil actions may be brought in Federal district court only if the person has exhausted his/her administrative review process. The legislation will foreclose venue-shopping.

It encourages the courts to weigh the environmental consequences of management inaction when the potential devastation from fires could occur. This provision is important public policy and demonstrates to the American people that the risk of catastrophic wildfire must be known, understood and respected in our judicial system and acted upon quickly.

I am also excited about title 2 of the legislation which will encourage the production of energy from biomass. Developing energy from biomass could provide a tremendous boost to the local economy on the Kenai Peninsula while reducing the dangerous wildland fire risks that exists there. That is a win-win solution. The biomass provision is innovative, environmentally sound and a good approach in achieving healthy forests.

The bipartisan legislation before us is good for the nation and good for Alaska. I will enthusiastically support its passage today.