“This legislation ensures that forests across the nation receive the expedited treatment they need, which will mitigate the threat of wildfires and support local economies.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today introduced the Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act, legislation to require the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to expedite treatment of more than 70 million acres of National Forest System lands, in consultation with states, that were identified during the Obama administration as in need of treatment to reduce the threat of insect and disease infestations and catastrophic wildfires. In South Dakota alone, the USFS designated the vast majority of the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) as a landscape-scale insect and disease area that is in need of treatment. Despite authorities provided by Congress to proactively manage national forests, on-the-ground management activities, including timber thinning, are significantly lagging on the BHNF and other forests throughout the country. In 2020 alone, more than 10 million acres burned, approximately half of which were on USFS lands, resulting in significant carbon emissions, loss of wildlife habitat, and reduced opportunities for recreation.