[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7490-H7492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL FOREST RESTORATION AND REMEDIATION ACT

  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 4489) to amend the Act of June 20, 1958, to 
require that certain amounts collected by the United States with 
respect to lands under the administration of the Forest Service be 
invested into interest bearing obligations, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4489

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Forest Restoration 
     and Remediation Act''.

     SEC. 2. INVESTMENT OF CERTAIN FUNDS INTO INTEREST BEARING 
                   OBLIGATIONS.

       Section 7 of the Act of June 20, 1958 (16 U.S.C. 579c), is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``of any improvement, protection, or 
     rehabilitation'' and inserting ``of any assessment, 
     improvement, protection, restoration, or rehabilitation''; 
     and
       (2) by striking ``Provided, That'' and all that follows 
     through the period at the end and inserting: ``Provided, That 
     any monies covered into the Treasury under this section, 
     including all monies that were previously collected by the 
     United States in a forfeiture, judgment, compromise, or 
     settlement, shall be invested by the Secretary of the 
     Treasury in interest bearing obligations of the United States 
     to the extent the amounts are not, in the judgment of the 
     Secretary of the Treasury, required to meet current 
     withdrawals: Provided further, That any interest earned on 
     the amounts, including any interest earned by investment, is 
     hereby appropriated and made available until expended to 
     cover the costs to the United States specified in this 
     section: Provided further, That, for fiscal year 2021 and 
     thereafter, the Secretary shall include in the budget 
     materials submitted to Congress in support of the President's 
     annual budget request (submitted to Congress pursuant to 
     section 1105 of title 31, United States Code) for each fiscal 
     year the proposed use of such amounts with respect to the 
     Forest Service: Provided further, That any portion of the 
     monies received or earned under this section in excess of the 
     amount expended in performing the work necessitated by the 
     action which led to their receipt may be used to cover the 
     other work specified in this section.''.

     SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr.   David Scott) and the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. 
Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 4489.
  This bill is an excellent example, again, of the strong bipartisan 
work that can be accomplished through the Agriculture Committee. First, 
I want to applaud and thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. 
Schrier) and the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa) for working 
together to get this legislation to the floor for consideration today 
by the full House.
  Mr. Speaker, we know that there are significant needs for investment 
in restoration and recovery work on our great national forests. Our 
bill this morning allows the Forest Service to keep interest on 
settlement funds and apply these additional resources to restoration 
work on Forest Service land that has been damaged by mining activities 
and wildfires. All of us know of the devastation that these wildfires 
have caused to our forests.
  This is one of several major responses that we here in Congress are 
responding to, to keep our forestry strong and to provide this much-
needed financial help to keep interest on settlement funds and apply 
those additional resources to the restoration work and the Forest 
Service lands that were damaged by these terrible fires.
  It will also allow for more restoration work to be done in some of 
the areas where it is most needed, particularly the West Coast in 
California. It will allow this restoration work, and I encourage all of 
my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), the lead 
Republican on H.R. 4489.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I thank our chairman of the Agriculture 
Committee, Mr. Scott, and I have appreciated working with Ms. Schrier 
from Washington and helping her lead this bill and letting me help do 
so. I am glad to be able to support this bill here today.

[[Page H7491]]

  Of course, this bill is just common sense. It will allow the Forest 
Service to use the interests they gather on settlement accounts to 
continue the important restoration work we have in our forests, 
especially after so many horrific fires.
  Currently, the U.S. Forest Service must transfer the interest they 
collect to the General Treasury accounts. Now, this feels a little bit 
like if my kids are out gathering aluminum cans and plastic bottles and 
I keep the money when we take it down to be recycled.
  The Federal Government should be allowing the money generated by 
these settlement accounts to build up and go for the much-needed work 
instead of skimming that money off the top.
  Now, other agencies like the Department of the Interior are allowed 
to retain the interest that accrues on their accounts and allows them 
to spend that additional money on needed restoration in their projects.
  The 2021 fire season, as we know--which is getting to be every year--
was devastating for the West and left millions of acres that will need 
to be restored, including one in my district known as the Dixie fire, 
which was right at a million acres. A million acres, one fire.
  Without this legislation amending the Forest Service's ability to 
retain this interest, the value of the settlement accounts diminishes 
over time.
  There already isn't enough money to replant and restore to get our 
forests growing again after devastating fires, so why are we skimming 
this interest off the top and thinking we are doing something by 
putting it back in the Treasury? Why wouldn't we want the focus to be 
on restoring and replanting our forests after so many devastating fires 
year after year.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Schrier for stepping forward and sponsoring 
this bill, and I look forward to hearing her comments on this. Somehow, 
I got ahead of her in order here. I also look forward to working with 
Ms. Schrier.
  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier), the sponsor of this bill.
  Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank 
Mr. LaMalfa for his kind words and for cosponsoring this bill with me.
  My bill, the National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act will 
help the Forest Service fund the cleanup of damaged public lands.
  This bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously out of the 
Committee on Agriculture would allow the Forest Service to collect and 
keep interest earned on settlement funds, much like other Federal 
agencies do, in order to supplement their already strained restoration 
efforts.
  The Forest Service is responsible for overseeing the remediation and 
restoration of lands damaged by mining activities and human-caused 
wildfires. And when the negligent actions of companies or individuals 
result in damages to Forest Service property, officials enter a 
settlement agreement with the responsible parties to hold them 
accountable. The Forest Service then uses the settlement funds to 
restore the affected lands.
  At the moment, the Forest Service does not have the authority to 
retain interest on those settlement funds like other Federal agencies, 
like the Department of the Interior and the EPA do. The National Forest 
Restoration and Remediation Act would simply allow the Forest Service 
to retain interest on settlement funds and apply those additional 
resources to restoration work that is abundantly needed. Without this 
additional funding, the value of settlement funds diminishes over time, 
and the Forest Service can face long-term budget shortfalls for 
environmental cleanup. If this bill had been in effect between fiscal 
years 2015 and 2019, the Forest Service would have received more than 
$7.5 million to supplement their environmental restoration work.
  So as we confront another potentially devastating wildfire season, it 
is so important to ensure that the Forest Service can use accrued 
interest to protect and remediate our forests.
  The Forest Service provides many important environmental services in 
Washington State, including mitigating wildfires and improving forest 
health. This is especially critical in places like Chelan County in my 
district where 82 percent of the land is owned by the Forest Service.
  According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there were over 
50,000 human-caused wildfires last year burning nearly six million 
acres nationwide. And over half of the wildfires on Forest Service 
lands are started by humans.
  My bill will ensure that when we hold bad actors accountable for 
negligent behavior, the Forest Service can fully use the fines and the 
interest to rehabilitate the land.
  I was so proud to introduce this bill with my colleagues 
Representatives LaMalfa, Rosendale, and Neguse. I urge my colleagues to 
support this commonsense bill to protect our Federal public lands.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale), another leader 
in this effort.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Dakota 
for yielding to me. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
who helped bring this bill to the floor today.
  I am proud to rise in support of this bipartisan bill with 
Congresswoman Schrier, H.R. 4489, the National Forest Restoration and 
Remediation Act, which would allow the Forest Service to use 
accumulated interest on settlement agreements to restore our national 
forestlands.
  Montana is blessed with an abundance of public lands with well over 
20 million acres available to all for recreation, hunting, fishing, 
camping, and more. It is part of who we are as Montanans and an 
important aspect of our Montana way of life.

  These public lands are a patchwork of land managed by the State as 
well as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the 
U.S. Forest Service. If these Federal lands are damaged, an agency will 
reach a settlement agreement with the responsible party to support 
restoration and cleanup efforts.
  And while the Department of the Interior, which houses the National 
Park Service, and the BLM has the authority to retain interest from 
these settlement funds, the Forest Service does not.
  This commonsense bill would rectify that by allowing the Forest 
Service to use the interests on settlement funds to restore damaged 
public lands, which improves forest health and supports conservation. 
It merely will mirror the policy that is already utilized by these 
other agencies.
  When the Forest Service enters into a settlement agreement, the funds 
are deposited into the Treasury account that is used to remediate the 
damaged land. However, these accounts do not allow the Forest Service 
to take advantage of the interest generated in them, leading to the 
value of funds available for forest restoration to diminish over time 
creating the potential for years-long delays and budget shortfalls from 
remediation efforts.
  The National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act would ensure the 
Forest Service has adequate funding for restoration work by unlocking 
this additional funding without additional expenses to taxpayers.
  I, again, urge my colleagues to support Congresswoman Schrier and my 
bill and I thank all those involved in this commonsense, bipartisan 
legislation.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  I think it has been said very well. Mr. Rosendale just reminded us 
that this only mirrors the authority that other agencies have to be 
able to gather up the interest from those interest-bearing accounts.
  Ms. Schrier did a good job of reminding us that had this been in 
place in recent years, it would have been $7 million more that could 
have been invested in forest management and in forest health. And I 
just want to echo all of those findings.
  This is absolutely a commonsense, bipartisan bill, and I am looking 
forward to its passage.
  But I can't let the passage of this bill, which would be a big 
success, go by without calling attention to how much more needs to be 
done with regard to forest health.

[[Page H7492]]

  I remain disappointed, as so many do, of the fact that this Congress, 
this administration has not prioritized highly enough forest 
management.
  Mr. Speaker, here is what I know from the Black Hills of South 
Dakota: A managed forest is a healthy forest. And I want to say that 
one more time because there will be no truer statement spoken on the 
House floor on this day: A managed forest is a healthy forest.
  Today, millions of acres in this country are at risk of severe 
wildfire with potentially catastrophic impacts to our communities. Six 
of the worst fire seasons on record have occurred just over a period in 
the last few years.
  Our agencies, Federal partners, communities, and our States need more 
tools to proactively manage and mitigate this threat. Again, a managed 
forest is a healthy forest.
  And so, yes, by all means, let's celebrate this bill. It is an 
important technical fix that will improve in a narrow way the funding 
needs of the Forest Service. But let us keep in mind, to an even 
greater extent, in the days that follow that the resiliency of our 
forests remains a critically important national priority, and one that 
deserves greater attention from this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, I encourage the Members to 
vote ``aye,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  Again, I thank Mr. Johnson for the time he has put into this bill. 
The people of this country are very grateful, and we hope they realize 
how we here in Congress are really responding to the challenges facing 
our forestry, particularly with these wildfires.
  A while back I recognized some of my staff, but we have had an 
addition that I would like to recognize because he really worked 
feverishly on this bill all the way up until this morning, I 
understand, and that is Mr. Paul Babbitt. I would ask Paul to stand. 
Mr. Speaker, I thank him for his work.
  So much has already been said about this, but I am so proud of the 
efforts of our full House committee because once we really began to get 
into the ravages of these wildfires out West about a year back, we made 
a commitment that we were going to make sure that we did everything we 
can to save and prosper our great forestry industry, and we have done 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this great bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr.   David Scott) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4489, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________