OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

National Forest Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2015

Floor Speech

Date: June 9, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Arts, Entertainment, and History Environment

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his work on this legislation and also for his work and dedication on the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee, which we lead together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. The National Forest Foundation Reauthorization Act will allow the public-private partnership responsible for the stewardship and management of our national forests and grasslands to continue.

This legislation would reauthorize the National Forest Foundation's matching funds program. This important program brings non-Federal partners and stakeholders together to keep our forests healthy and less prone to fire. In practice, this has generated more than $4 for our forests for every Federal dollar invested.

I have seen the benefits of this program in my own district. Since 2010, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance has received grants from the National Forest Foundation to assist the Forest Service in conducting surveys and data collection on the wilderness areas within the New Mexico national forests. This data has helped the Forest Service combat invasive species and improve forest health in the Cibola, Carson, and Santa Fe National Forests.

Our national forests are in dire need of this type of management and restoration in order to maintain valuable ecosystems and prevent devastating and costly wildfires.

New Mexico, like many other States in the Southwest, has been experiencing severe drought; and, as a result, we have had record-breaking fires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres and have caused millions of dollars in damage.

While we have seen some recent improvements, long-term projections indicate that drought conditions will worsen and spread to more States across the country. We must ensure that this program, which prevents costly and, oftentimes, irreparable damage to communities, personal property, and wildlife habitat, receives continued support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward