[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1752-H1753]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REFORMING THE POLICY FOR OUR FORESTS

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, the National Environmental Policy Act, 
NEPA, as it is known, enacted in 1970--I am sure, well intentioned--but 
time and time and time again, issues that need to be resolved for the 
people and their assets in this country are thwarted by needless red 
tape, a lot of times coming from NEPA.
  Our forests in the West suffer badly--and the people who live near 
them, from the smoke, from the danger, from the loss of homes, the loss 
of wildlife--because to do the slightest thing to improve our forest 
conditions requires NEPA delay.

[[Page H1753]]

  In talking to forestry people just today, you can see illustrated in 
photographs private land that has been recovered right after a forest 
fire and, indeed, Federal land, because we have to do yet another NEPA 
on something we should already know and understand--delayed 1, 2, 3 
years. And then you don't have the value left anymore of those trees 
that were left behind after a fire; therefore, there is never enough 
money to do the job.
  Mr. Speaker, we must reform NEPA so it works for the people.

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