[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IMPROVE FOREST MANAGEMENT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, that 
was introduced by Congressman Westerman.
  The House will consider this bill today, which will improve forest 
management and cut the bureaucratic red tape that has been preventing 
sound management practices for the Forest Service.
  Mr. Speaker, devastating wildfires have resulted in the loss of 
property, loss of pristine landscapes, and, most importantly, the loss 
of life. 2017 has been the costliest wildfire season on record, with 
the Forest Service spending over $2 billion. While not the only issue, 
the greatest cause for this increase in wildfire is a severe lack of 
forest management.
  This bill provides Federal land management agencies the immediate 
tools to expedite and increase the scale and efficiency of forest 
management projects without sacrificing environmental protections.
  Mr. Speaker, we must do everything in our power to stop these 
catastrophic wildfires and encourage better land management of our 
forests.
  Today's bill is one step in the right direction and I encourage my 
colleagues to support this important legislation.

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