REFERENCE TITLE: forest management; beneficial policies

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature Second Regular Session 2018

SCM 1009

Introduced by Senator Griffin

 

A concurrent MEMORIAL

 

urging the united states forest service, the united states bureau of land management and the arizona department of forestry and fire service to implement beneficial forest management policies.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Directors of the United States Forest Service, the United States Bureau of Land Management and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, Arizona has the largest continuous stand of ponderosa pines in the United States; and

Whereas, historically, Arizona's forests had far fewer trees than they do now.  In the early 1900s, tree density was about 40 trees per acre, but today they number more than 2,000 per acre; and

Whereas, nature created ponderosa pines to withstand low-level fires, but since 2001 Arizona has lost millions of acres of forested land to uncontained, catastrophic wildfires; and

Whereas, the federal government has failed to maintain policies that promote forest health; and

Whereas, healthy forests lead to healthy watersheds, which are essential for Arizona's well-being and growth; and

Whereas, healthy forests are a renewable natural resource and are vital to enhancing rural economies and the overall economic well-being of this state.

Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:

1.  That the United States Forest Service, the United States Bureau of Land Management and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management take immediate steps to implement management policies that are beneficial to promoting healthy forests in this state.

2.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Chief of the United States Forest Service, the Director of the United States Bureau of Land Management and the State Forester of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.