REFERENCE TITLE: supporting proper forest management

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature First Regular Session 2019

HCR 2019

Introduced by Representative Griffin

 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

expressing support for proper forest management policies in national forest service lands.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Whereas, America's national forest system (NFS) comprises more than 750 million acres—covering approximately one-third of our nation's land mass—and provides the United States with a wealth of beauty and economic prosperity; and

Whereas, America's forest lands are dying at an unprecedented rate due to catastrophic wildfires and devastating insect and disease epidemics that have resulted from years of mismanagement and unsound policies; and

Whereas, more than one hundred years ago, the federal government recognized the importance of a responsible forest management policy that combined protection of forest resources with commercial outputs.  This prudent, common-sense policy, which provided for multiple uses of forests lands in conjunction with sustained economic yield, was largely adhered to by the Congress and president for most of the twentieth century; and

Whereas, over the past twenty-five years, however, our NFS has experienced a crisis as changes to forest management policies have resulted in uncoordinated, conflicting and overbearing state and federal regulations.  These inconsistent approaches have led to a gridlock of confusion and litigation, with numerous lawsuits being filed to exclude any commercial activity; and

Whereas, the newer NFS policies have become skewed toward preserving forests at all costs instead of managing them, leading to choked, overly dense forests that have suffered from the effects of increasingly large and intense wildfires over the past fifty years, particularly in the western United States.  These severe wildfires result in increased erosion, increased greenhouse gas emissions, higher levels of air pollution from smoke, loss of fish and wildlife and negative impacts to local economies; and

Whereas, a majority of the United States Forest Service budget is now spent on firefighting costs; and

Whereas, our nation's once vibrant timber industry has slowed drastically as hundreds of sawmills have closed and thousands of forest industry jobs have been lost.  The resulting 70% reduction in NFS timber outputs has resulted in the United States becoming the world's second largest importer of softwood lumber products, with only China importing more; and

Whereas, the combined lack of active forest management and timber harvesting has not only made our forests much more vulnerable to the damaging effects of wildfire, but has resulted in rural economic hardship, steady forest decline and epidemic insect and disease outbreaks; and

Whereas, sound scientific solutions, both short-term and long-term, are needed to end forest gridlock and improve the health of both our forests and our nation's economy.  Inconsistent and overreaching forest management policies must be replaced by a common-sense policy to make America's forests thrive again.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

That the Members of the Legislature express their support of a reasonable and prudent multiple-use forest management policy to improve our nation's forest health.