Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici today introduced legislation aimed at undertaking large-scale national forest restoration projects with an eye toward reducing wildfires, restoring ecosystems and creating jobs. The two senators are the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 

The measure, called the Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008, authorizes $40 million annually for landscape-scale forest restoration projects that cover 50,000 acres or more. Competitive grants would be awarded to restoration projects that are developed in collaboration with local communities. Eligible projects must be in need of ecosystem restoration, utilize the best-available science, encourage the use of restoration byproducts such as woody biomass, and be located primarily on National Forest System land. 

“This bill offers a unique approach to conducting comprehensive ecosystem restoration at a landscape scale. We’re now spending billions of dollars a year trying to suppress wildland fires, and this bill will help us get a better handle on controlling those costs. It also will help to make the restoration economy a reality by encouraging the use of restoration byproducts. Healthier forest ecosystems and communities will result.” Bingaman said. 

Every year, we see millions of acres of land destroyed by forest fires. These fires far outpace our ability to treat land. Too often they threaten homes and communities, and ultimately result in millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants added to our atmosphere. This bill is another step in our efforts to increase treatments to federal lands in order to decrease the intensity of wildfires. I look forward to working together with my fellow cosponsors to get this bill adopted,” Domenici said. 

Conceptually, this bill is similar to the Community Forest Restoration Act, legislation Bingaman wrote and Domenici supported. As a result of the measure, which was enacted in 2007, millions of dollars have been invested in small-scale forest restoration projects in New Mexico. This legislation, developed by the New Mexico lawmakers with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, would allow the state to compete for much bigger grants and treat significantly larger pieces of land. 

The Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008 was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. A hearing on the bill will be scheduled for spring.